Kansai and Takahama reactors 1 & 2

November 26, 2014

Utility to conduct special inspections on reactors

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20141126_38.html

Nov. 26, 2014 - Updated 12:21 UTC+1

Kansai Electric Power Company says it will carry out special inspections aimed at restarting 2 aging nuclear reactors.

Last year, the Japanese government limited the operational lifespan of nuclear reactors to 40 years in principle.

Operators must decide whether to decommission their aging reactors or apply for permission to extend their lifespans. The special inspections required include a detailed assessment of the extent of reactor deterioration.

Kansai Electric President Makoto Yagi announced on Wednesday the company will start inspecting the No.1 and No.2 reactors at the Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, early next month.

He said the utility concluded that the safety of the 2 reactors could be assured by implementing various measures.

Both reactors have been in operation for about 40 years.

The utility will decide whether to apply to the Nuclear Regulation Authority for extensions after seeing the results.

Next year, 7 nuclear reactors in Japan will have been in operation for roughly 40 years. Kansai Electric is the first power company to announce plans to apply to extend the operations of any of these 7 reactors.

It's hugely expensive to restart and ensure the safety of an old reactor. But the utility judged it would be even costlier to buy the fuel to run its thermal power stations.

Yagi said his company has pledged to make efficient use of existing nuclear power plants, and that the Takahama reactors are more economically viable than other power sources