Tokyo, Sept. 16 (Jiji Press)–Kansai Electric Power Co. and Tohoku Electric Power Co. have expressed an intention to join an interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The facility currently accepts spent nuclear fuel only from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. and Japan Atomic Power Co. After the Mutsu mayor agreed to consider allowing the facility to accept spent nuclear fuel from others, TEPCO and Japan Atomic Power asked eight other Japanese power firms that operate nuclear plants whether they intended to participate in the facility. TEPCO is expected to report the results to local governments on Friday. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
