information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
12 Août 2015
Aug. 12, 2015 - Updated 08:59 UTC+2
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html
The operator of the Sendai nuclear plant in southwestern Japan is clearing the steps to start supplying power on a commercial basis next month.
Officials with the Kyushu Electric Power Company say they have found no abnormalities since restarting one of the plant's nuclear reactors this week.
The No.1 reactor at the plant in Kagoshima Prefecture resumed operation on Tuesday. It is the first reactor to be back online under new regulations following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in 2011.
The reactor achieved a sustained nuclear fission chain reaction during the night.
Plant workers were checking on Wednesday whether the control rods could effectively halt the reactor within a safe margin.
The utility will also be checking a device to stop the power generation turbines in an emergency.
If no problems are found, the company plans to start generating power on a trial basis on Friday. It will gradually increase output while continuing the checks.
The utility plans to resume commercial operation in September after clearing a final government inspection.
Company officials say they will move cautiously toward full operation, as the No.1 reactor has been offline for more than 4 years.
August 11, 2015
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html
Aug. 11, 2015 - Updated 17:07 UTC+2
A nuclear reactor has been restarted in Japan for the first time in nearly 2 years.
The No.1 reactor at the Sendai nuclear plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is the first to go back online under the new regulations introduced after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident.
On Tuesday morning, workers in the plant's central control room operated a lever to pull out the reactor's 32 control rods.
The plant's operator, Kyushu Electric Power Company, says the reactor achieved a sustained nuclear chain reaction later on Tuesday and there's been no trouble so far.
If all goes well, the reactor is due to begin generating power on Friday. After gradually raising its output, Kyushu Electric plans to begin commercial operations in early September.
The utility says it will watch carefully for any abnormalities in the operation of the equipment, as the reactor has been kept offline for more than 4 years.
Last year, the 2 reactors at the Sendai plant cleared the new, rigorous regulations introduced after the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The necessary inspections were completed on Monday.
The reactor is the first to go online since September 2013, when the Ohi nuclear plant in central Japan halted operations.
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