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▼ Oi Nuclear Reactors Set to Be Decommissioned
- Category:Event
Kansai Electric Power Co. intends to decommission the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture when the plant reaches 40 years of service in 2019, it has been learned.
KEPCO made the decision because the distinctive structure of the reactors’ containment vessels would require massive spending to apply safety measures that would meet the new standards set after the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The power company is expected to make an official decision by the end of this year and submit an application to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, decisions have been made to decommission six nuclear reactors, not counting those at the Fukushima No. 1 plant. The Oi reactors will be the first large-scale reactors, with a maximum output of over 1 million kilowatts, to be decommissioned.
The Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Oi plant have a special cooling system using ice to curb rapid pressure increases in case of a serious accident. No other reactors in Japan have this system, meaning the Oi reactors would have to undergo unprecedented work to meet the new standards.
The vessels of the Oi reactors are smaller than those of reactors with other cooling systems, making it difficult to secure sufficient work space, according to the sources.
After the 2011 earthquake, the government set a 40-year limit on the lifespan of nuclear reactors, in principle. The NRA can give a 20-year extension of the maximum operating period if a power company applies and receives approval.
The deadline for the Nos. 1 and 2 Oi reactors to apply for an operating period extension is approaching in 2018. With work to improve safety likely being a difficult challenge, KEPCO has no prospect of cutting back on the cost, which is expected to be over ¥100 billion. The company therefore gave up on restarting the reactors.
Tens of billions of yen are expected to be spent over 30 years to complete the decommissioning of the reactors, but that is still much cheaper than restarting them.
Seven of KEPCO’s reactors have so far passed safety inspections, and the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture restarted in May and June. The Oi plant’s No. 3 and No. 4 reactors are expected to follow in January or later.
Resumption of those reactors’ operations helped KEPCO stabilize its financial situation, and that apparently helped the company decide to decommission the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at Oi.
KEPCO made the decision because the distinctive structure of the reactors’ containment vessels would require massive spending to apply safety measures that would meet the new standards set after the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The power company is expected to make an official decision by the end of this year and submit an application to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, decisions have been made to decommission six nuclear reactors, not counting those at the Fukushima No. 1 plant. The Oi reactors will be the first large-scale reactors, with a maximum output of over 1 million kilowatts, to be decommissioned.
The Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Oi plant have a special cooling system using ice to curb rapid pressure increases in case of a serious accident. No other reactors in Japan have this system, meaning the Oi reactors would have to undergo unprecedented work to meet the new standards.
The vessels of the Oi reactors are smaller than those of reactors with other cooling systems, making it difficult to secure sufficient work space, according to the sources.
After the 2011 earthquake, the government set a 40-year limit on the lifespan of nuclear reactors, in principle. The NRA can give a 20-year extension of the maximum operating period if a power company applies and receives approval.
The deadline for the Nos. 1 and 2 Oi reactors to apply for an operating period extension is approaching in 2018. With work to improve safety likely being a difficult challenge, KEPCO has no prospect of cutting back on the cost, which is expected to be over ¥100 billion. The company therefore gave up on restarting the reactors.
Tens of billions of yen are expected to be spent over 30 years to complete the decommissioning of the reactors, but that is still much cheaper than restarting them.
Seven of KEPCO’s reactors have so far passed safety inspections, and the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture restarted in May and June. The Oi plant’s No. 3 and No. 4 reactors are expected to follow in January or later.
Resumption of those reactors’ operations helped KEPCO stabilize its financial situation, and that apparently helped the company decide to decommission the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at Oi.
- October 18, 2017
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