¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß

As all but two of the country's nuclear reactors remain shut down, theÌýKansai Electric Power Company (Kepco)Ìýhas today applied to Japan's Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI)ÌýtoÌýraise the region's household electricity prices by 12% in order toÌýoffset soaring fossil fuel imports.

Kepco's outlook for the period 2013 to 2015ÌýclearlyÌýsets out the impact of theÌýfuel switch thatÌýhas resulted from the idling of nine of the company's eleven reactors. Compared to figures used to justify the company's last rate change in 2008,Ìýincreased fossil fuel imports are expected to cost anÌýextra Â¥440 billion ($5.4 billion) per year - roughly double the previous amount. This isÌýby far the largestÌýmovement in a listÌýof changes thatÌýforecasts an overallÌýincrease of Â¥280 billion ($3.4 billion) for the utility's annualÌýexpenses.ÌýThe costs ofÌýmaintaining its nuclear plantsÌýare expected to decrease by some Â¥26 billion ($320 million)Ìýfor fuel purchases and Â¥35 billion ($430 million)ÌýforÌýwaste and decommissioningÌýcharges.

Currently Ohi units 3 and 4 areÌýKepco'sÌý- and Japan's -Ìýonly operating units, although it has announced its desire to see two further units at the Takahama plant restarted by the middle of next year. This may run into difficulty however as the country's new nuclear regulatorÌýhas announced a similar time frameÌýforÌýimplementation ofÌýnew operating requirements. Ìý

The company apologised to customers for the inconvenienceÌýbut noted that with no clear time frame in placeÌýfor the restart of reactors it was forced to takeÌýmeasuresÌýtoÌýensure the long term stability of electricityÌýsupply and to plan accordingly. It expects to introduce the new rates in April next year. METI acknowledged receipt of the request for an increase to the domestic tariffÌýand immediately announced that it would hold a public hearing on the proposed increases.ÌýKepco also wants to raiseÌýits tariff for commercial customers by 19%, butÌýas part of the country's deregulated electricityÌýmarketÌýthis does notÌýrequire METI approval to implement.

Kepco nowÌýjoins Tepco as the second Japanese utilityÌýto seekÌýto pass onÌýthe rising cost ofÌýfossil fuels. According to the Japan Times, TepcoÌýreceived permission to increase household rates by 8.5% in July inÌýorder to helpÌýpay for theÌýfuelÌýswitch as well as some of the costs of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. A thirdÌýutility, the Kyushu Electric Power Company,Ìýannounced in late October that in the face of its largest ever deficitÌýit wasÌýreviewing tariffs also, although it has yet to approach METI with a request.

The Japanese parliament has now been dissolved ahead of a national election scheduled for 16 December. The country's future nuclear policy may beÌýchanged if the incumbentÌýDemocratic Party of Japan prime minister Yoshihiko Noda is ousted. In SeptemberÌýthe Noda government announced that it intended to gradually wean the country off nuclear power - although it refused toÌýset a date for this.

Researched and written
by ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear News