Japan Nuclear Update

Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) / Nuclear Power - Economics, Design, & Industry

Keep up to date with coverage of the latest government, industry and regulatory activities impacting nuclear energy in Japan. Kansai Electric Power Co. (Kepco) restarted its Takahama 4 pressurized water reactor in Fukui prefecture on May 17, after being off-line for more than a year. The 830-megawatt reactor was shut down Feb. 29, 2016 because of an electrical problem, just a few days after it had been restarted. The following month, a regional court issued an injunction to halt operations at Takahama 3 and 4 in response to a request by anti-nuclear groups. Kepco filed an appeal with Osaka High Court in July, and the lower court decision was successfully reversed in March 2017, allowing both reactors to restart. Fuel was loaded into Takahama 4 on May 2.

The plant will be connected to the grid May 22, with commercial operations resuming mid-June. Meanwhile, Kepco completed reloading fuel into Takahama 3 on May 16, and expects commercial operations to resume by mid-July. Japan Kansai Electric Power Co. could connect its 870-megawatt Takahama 4 to the electricity grid as early as May 22, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said. NRA is conducting prestart inspections on the reactor, which is expected to become the fourth to resume operations. The restart tests will require seven or eight days to complete, NRA said May 8. The reactor was refueled between April 28 and May 1. Of the Japan 42 operable reactors, only 4 are currently being operated commercially, Kyushu Electric Power Co. Sendai 1 and 2 and Shikoku Electric Power Co. Ikata 3, and Takahama soon, but the others will be coming on line sooner or later. For additional up-to-date information, see the I2M Web Portal Search Results ... (http://bit.ly/2rgA8ov)