Decommissionning Tsuruga 2

May 17, 2013

Editorial: Lay the groundwork for decommissioning Tsuruga No. 2 reactor

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/perspectives/news/20130517p2a00m0na011000c.html

A panel of experts appointed by the government's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has concluded that an active fault lies just below the idled No. 2 reactor of the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture. Dissatisfied with the judgment, Japan Atomic Power Co. (JAPC), the operator of the power station, is poised to demand that the panel continue on-the-spot inspections and review its conclusion. However, it is highly unlikely that the panel will reverse its decision given the NRA's past discussions on the matter.

We would like to support the panel's conclusion from the standpoint of ensuring safety of nuclear power stations. NRA commissioner Kunihiko Shimazaki said, "It's lucky that there has been no accident at the reactor." It is inevitable for the reactor to be decommissioned. Spent nuclear fuel is stored at the No. 2 reactor building of the Tsuruga power plant. Even while operations at the reactor are suspended, the active fault could cause a serious accident.

Shortly after conducting an on-the-spot inspection of the plant in December last year, the panel of experts suggested that the crush zone just below the Tsuruga plant's No. 2 reactor was an active fault. However, JAPC argued that the expertise of the panel members was not well balanced and that the panel unilaterally deliberated on the matter. Even some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and local governments around the power station demanded that the crush zone be re-examined thoroughly and that discussions be held in a fair manner.

In response, the NRA held meetings to listen to opinions from other experts and to give JAPC an opportunity to counter the panel's judgment. Nevertheless, the panel did not reverse its conclusion.

JAPC complained that the judgment is not rational, but the NRA's stance to regard the crush zone as an active fault as long as it cannot rule out such a possibility is appropriate.

It is the JAPC that will decide whether to decommission the No. 2 reactor at its Tsuruga plant. Needless to say, the decommissioning of the reactor will have a far-reaching impact.

JAPC, a power wholesaler specializing in nuclear power generation, was founded jointly by nine major power suppliers and other entities, and owns three nuclear reactors -- the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the Tsuruga plant and the Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant in Ibaraki Prefecture. All these reactors have been idled and there are no prospects that any of them will be reactivated in the foreseeable future because of such factors as aging, the existence of an active fault on the premises and opposition from the local community.

Power companies that own nuclear plants have been accumulating funds to cover the costs of decommissioning and dismantling nuclear reactors, but JAPC has not yet saved enough funds to cover the expense of decommissioning its three reactors. Therefore, if the company were to decommission its reactors, it would certainly face a management crisis.

If that were to happen, power companies that have a stake in JAPC would be required to cover the losses incurred by JAPC, ending up in an increase in electricity charges. Such a situation could also spark calls for the reform of JAPC, such as a merger with another power supplier and transformation of JAPC into a company specializing in decommissioning nuclear reactors, and have a huge impact on the finances of local municipalities hosting JAPC nuclear plants and the regional economy.

The national government cannot evade its responsibility for issuing permission for the installation of the Tsuruga No. 2 reactor. The government should launch discussions on who should bear the costs of decommissioning the reactor and work out new measures to revitalize the local economy without relying on the nuclear plant in an effort to lay the groundwork for doing away with the reactor.

The government will enforce the new standards for regulating nuclear power stations in July, and aging nuclear plants will be also required to meet the standards. The NRA will continue to examine faults that exist on the premises of nuclear plants to see if they are active. There will certainly be other nuclear plants that will be forced to shut down. The decommissioning of the Tsuruga No. 2 reactor will serve as an important test for the future shutdown of many other nuclear reactors.