Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. intends to start at an early date business collaboration discussions with other companies for its Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa said in a recent interview.

“We hope that companies will sit at the negotiating table as early as possible to sort out issues,” Kobayakawa said.

TEPCO aims to realize around fiscal 2020 joint operations of the nuclear plant, where the power supplier plans to build a total of two reactors.

The company has yet to start full discussions, but is asking its industrial peers and heavy electric machinery makers for opinions, Kobayakawa said.

Taking into account increasing competition due to the country’s electricity market liberalization and higher costs for safety measures, Kobayakawa pointed to the importance of sharing knowledge for the overall nuclear business in the future.

He also said he intends to call on the government to set up a support program for the continuation of nuclear power generation after listening to opinions of other plant operators.

Ahead of March 11, the day to mark the seventh year of the Great East Japan Earthquake, which led to the triple meltdown at TEPCO’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Kobayakawa expressed his intention to fully support reconstruction of Fukushima Prefecture, noting that the prefecture, home to the power plant crippled by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami, is still suffering from radiation rumors. Specifically, TEPCO will help sell Fukushima products and improve the image of the prefecture, according to Kobayakawa.

Kobayakawa made it clear that TEPCO will develop its renewable energy business into one of major revenue sources in 10 years by beefing up wind and water power operations overseas.

“Asia is important, but Europe and the United States also have market opportunities,” he said.Speech

Source: The Japan News