information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
1 Mai 2015
May 1, 2015
JIJI
Kansai Electric Power Co. on Thursday applied for regulatory approval for extending by 20 years the operational periods of two aging reactors at its Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture because it found no problems with them in its special safety checks.
The application for the reactors 1 and 2, which are now offline, at the Takahama plant was submitted to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
This is the first time an application for extending an operational period of a reactor aged 40 years or older has been filed.
The revised law on nuclear power plant regulations sets basic operation periods of nuclear reactors at 40 years. Operational periods can be extended only once by up to 20 years if certain conditions are met.
At the Takahama plant, reactor 1 is already over 40 years old, and reactor 2 will reach 40 years in November.
The moratorium period set under the law will expire in July 2016.
The two reactors are the oldest among the 43 reactors in Japan, excluding those that have been decommissioned.
Kepco started its special checks in December to investigate the condition of the two reactors.
After checking the pressure and containment vessels of the reactors with ultrasonic tests and visual examinations, the company concluded they can operate beyond 40 years.
According to Kansai Electric, safety screening for operational period extension will cover pressure and containment vessels as well as pipes, reactor buildings and emergency power generators for a total of about 3,100 items for reactor 1 and some 3,000 items for reactor 2.
The NRA will examine whether Kansai Electric’s special safety checks are satisfactory.
In March, Kansai Electric separately applied for NRA screening that is necessary for restarting the two reactors under the new safety standards introduced in July 2013.
If the extensions are approved, Kansai Electric expects the two reactors to resume operations in November 2019 at the earliest, as they require further safety measures before their restart.
Also on Thursday, Kansai Electric told the prefectural government of Fukui that it will launch special checks as early as in mid-May for reactor 3, which is also offline, at its Mihama plant. The reactor will be 40 years old in December next year.
April 30, 2015
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150430_40.html
Apr. 30, 2015 - Updated 19:07 UTC+2
Kansai Electric Power Company has applied to extend the operational lifespan of 2 of its nuclear reactors by 20 years.
The company filed the application with the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Thursday. The extension covers the No.1 and No.2 reactors of the Takahama plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan.
After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011, the government introduced regulations that limit the operational lifespan of reactors to 40 years in principle.
Operation of the 2 Takahama reactors started about 40 years ago.
Power companies that seek to extend the limit must inspect reactors and other equipment for possible deterioration.
This is the first time a power company has applied for an extension under the new system.
Kansai Electric officials say they have concluded that there are no safety problems after inspecting the reactors and containment vessels starting last December.
For the extension to be granted, the reactors must pass screening based on the new requirements to go back online. The application must also be approved by July of next year.
Observers say the screening may take time because of measures required for the aging reactors. Such measures include preventing electric cables from catching fire and lowering radiation leakage in the event of an accident.
The industry ministry envisions nuclear power contributing 20 to 22 percent of the country's total energy mix in fiscal 2030. The ministry stated the percentages in its draft plan for the optimal energy mix.
The draft assumes that multiple nuclear reactors will be granted extensions beyond 40 years.
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