大飯再稼働決定 着実な発電開始に万全を期せ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 18, 2012)
Restart remaining N-reactors to prevent power shortages
大飯再稼働決定　着実な発電開始に万全を期せ（6月17日付・読売社説）

The government has decided to restart the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture.
　政府が、関西電力大飯原子力発電所３、４号機の再稼働を決めた。

"The [Oi] reactors will be reactivated--this is the government's final decision. We'll take further steps toward restoring public trust in nuclear administration," Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said at a meeting with ministers in charge of the nation's nuclear policy on Saturday.
　野田首相は１６日の関係閣僚会合で、「再稼働することを政府の最終判断とする。原子力行政の信頼回復に向け、さらに取り組みを進めていく」と述べた。

We want to praise the prime minister highly for taking the responsibility of restarting the nuclear reactors to prevent the nation from facing a power crisis.
　電力危機を回避するため、首相が責任を持って再稼働を決断したことを高く評価したい。

The government has confirmed the safety of the Oi reactors based on its criteria for restarting suspended nuclear reactors. It took more than a year for the government to draw up the criteria, taking into account the lessons learned from the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
　政府は、福島第一原発事故の教訓を反映した判断基準を１年以上かけてまとめ、その基準に沿って大飯原発の安全性を確認した。

Noda made the restart decision also after obtaining approval from the heads of Fukui Prefecture and the town of Oi.
地元の福井県と、おおい町の同意も得られた上での決定だ。

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Haste makes mistakes

However, the crucial moment has yet to come. It will take about six weeks for the Oi power plant's Nos. 3 and 4 reactors to fully resume operations. Preparatory work needs to be conducted thoroughly, as the reactors were suspended for a longer period than they would have been for ordinary periodic checkups.
　肝心なのはこれからである。大飯原発の２基がフル稼働するまで約６週間かかる見込みという。通常の定期検査より運転停止の期間が長かったため、念入りに整備する必要がある。

It would be ideal if the restart of the nuclear reactors was in time for the nation's hottest season, when electricity consumption peaks, but doing things in haste often causes trouble. We urge KEPCO to work carefully and make thorough preparations to restart the Oi reactors.
　再稼働を電力需要がピークとなる猛暑に間に合わせたいが、「急(せ)いては事を仕損じる」ことになっては大変だ。関電は慎重に作業を進め、発電再開に万全を期してもらいたい。

Needless to say, ensuring the safety of the nuclear reactors should be the top priority. If the power company overemphasizes keeping to its schedule, the pressure may lead to human errors. The government and the utility should prepare for a scenario in which the restart of the reactors falls behind schedule and continue implementing measures against possible power shortages for the time being.
　むろん、安全確保が最重要である。日程優先では焦りがミスを誘いかねない。稼働時期が遅れる事態も想定し、当面は電力不足への対策を続けるべきだ。

From July 2, KEPCO will ask its customers to cut power use by at least 15 percent from the same period in 2010. Companies are now busy making plans to comply with the request, such as increasing the amount of electricity produced by their in-house power generators and shifting the operation times of their factories.
　関電管内では７月２日から１５％の節電が予定される。企業の間で自家発電の増強や操業時間変更などの対策が練られている。

To avoid discouraging the companies' efforts, the power company should not reduce the 15 percent reduction target until the operations of the Oi reactors are fully stabilized.
努力に水を差さぬよう、大飯原発の運転がしっかり安定するまで、節電目標の引き下げは避けるべきだ。

Even if the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors begin operating smoothly, the power supply in the Kansai region will remain precarious. The nation has become more dependent on thermal power plants, but they now face higher risks of mechanical trouble due to overuse. The government and the utility should stay vigilant against possible power failures.
　大飯原発２基が順調に稼働したとしても、関西の電力需給は綱渡りが続く。頼みの火力発電所は、これまで酷使した影響で故障のリスクが高まっている。停電への警戒を怠ってはならない。

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Overreliance on thermal power

Even if the nation is able to avoid power shortages this summer, important problems will remain unresolved.
　今夏の電力不足を何とか乗り切った後も、課題は残る。

If most of the nation's nuclear reactors remain idle, power companies have to pay extra fuel costs for thermal power plants, estimated at about 3 trillion yen a year. In addition to Tokyo Electric Power Co., which plans to raise electricity charges for households this summer, it will be unavoidable for other electric companies to raise their fees if the situation continues. The price hike may accelerate the nation's economic downturn, especially the trend of domestic companies moving their production bases abroad.
　ほとんどの原発が停止したままでは、火力発電の燃料費は全国で年３兆円も余計にかかる。東京電力以外も、電力料金の値上げは避けられまい。景気悪化と産業空洞化を加速させる恐れがある。

The government has a pressing need to restart the other suspended nuclear reactors--after confirming their safety--to resolve the nationwide power shortages.
　大飯以外の原発も安全を確認したうえで再稼働し、全国的な電力不足を解消することが急務だ。

However, due to a delay in establishing a new administrative body in charge of regulating nuclear power, the government's efforts to restart suspended nuclear reactors have virtually stopped.
　しかし、原子力規制組織の発足が遅れ、大飯に続く再稼働手続きは事実上、ストップしている。

A bill to establish the nuclear regulatory committee is expected to pass the Diet soon, but more time will be wasted if the government takes too long to appoint committee members. The government should launch the regulatory committee as soon as possible and put evaluations for restarting the suspended nuclear reactors on track.
　原子力規制委員会の設置法案は近く成立する見通しだが、委員の人選などに手間取れば時間を空費する。政府は速やかに規制委を発足させ、再稼働の審査体制を軌道に乗せることが求められる。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 17, 2012)
（2012年6月17日01時48分 読売新聞）