Documents submitted to NRA for restart of Kagoshima plant

February 27, 2015

Utility submits papers to restart nuclear plant

Feb. 27, 2015 - Updated 11:18 UTC+1

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150227_45.html

The operator of a nuclear power plant in southwestern Japan has submitted revised technical documents to regulators. They hope to gain approval to restart the plant.

In September last year, 2 reactors at the Sendai facility in Satsuma Sendai City in Kagoshima Prefecture became the first in Japan to meet new, tougher, government regulations. The new rules were introduced after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima.

Later, Kyushu Electric Power Company, which operates the plant, obtained the governor of Kagoshima's consent to restart the reactors.

But the company still needs 2 approvals from the Nuclear Regulation Authority before it can put the reactors back online.

On Friday, the utility submitted a revised construction plan that includes detailed designs of the facilities as well as some other information about the Number One reactor.

Company's officials say that it has taken 2 months longer than expected. They needed to conduct experiments to verify earthquake resistance. They also say they were required to give more detailed explanations.

The utility plans to submit by the end of March documents describing the central control room and other facilities. They will also provide technical data about the Number Two reactor.

If a restart happens it may not come until May or later, possibly the summer. It depends on the regulator's approval of the documents and onsite inspections.
An executive from the utility, Akira Nakamura, said the company was required to thoroughly verify the facilities' quake resistance and it took longer than expected.

All of Japan's commercial nuclear reactors are currently offline.