Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Corp. may struggle to find buyers for their nuclear reactors after the worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl damaged Japan's reputation for safety, according to analysts and investors.
While Tokyo Electric Power Co. is responsible for the Fukushima No. 1 plant accident, the reactor makers will find it harder to win contracts because they typically bid with the utility, said Yuuki Sakurai, president at Fukoku Capital Management Inc.
"Any plans to export all-Japan nuclear reactor projects will be delayed," said Takeo Miyamoto, an analyst at Deutsche Bank AG. "Improving the safety of the type of reactors involved in the Fukushima accident will take time and Tepco's crisis management methods are being questioned."