TOKYO, Jan. 14 (PNA/Kyodo) — Five of the seven oldest nuclear reactors in Japan are expected to be scrapped as it would be too costly for operators to upgrade equipment to meet new safety standards adopted following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.
The scrapping is prompted by a government decision Wednesday that the decommissioning cost should be passed on to all electricity users in principle after Japan’s electricity market is fully opened to newcomers in 2016.
The envisioned cost scheme is expected to be criticized as favoring nuclear power plant operators, and even undermining fair competition by compelling new entrants with no nuclear plants to share the decommissioning costs, according to some market sources. (PNA/Kyodo)