Sendai plant & anti-terrorism

May 16, 2018

Regulator approves Sendai plant anti-terror plan

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180516_12/

Japan's nuclear regulator has approved a plan to build terrorism-response facilities for a reactor at the Sendai plant in southwestern Japan.

New government regulations require nuclear plant operators to build stand-by central control rooms at least 100 meters away from their reactors, or to make control rooms strong enough to survive a plane crash or terrorist attack. The regulations were introduced after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority, or NRA, on Tuesday approved part of an anti-terrorism plan submitted by Kyushu Electric Power Company.

NRA officials say there are no problems in a system to remotely cool the No.1 reactor if a large aircraft were to be crashed into the reactor building.

They also say the designs are appropriate for the plumbing and valves used to send cooling water to the reactor from a tank to be built. Details of the plan, such as the sites or designs of the new facilities, were not disclosed.

Of 7 nuclear plants for which operators have submitted anti-terrorism plans, Sendai is the first to win NRA approval.

Kyushu Electric hopes to finish the work for the No.1 and No.2 reactors by 2020. It says the costs will be about 2 billion dollars.