Survival of Old Reactor

Nuclear Regulation Authority decided on Wednesday a draft of approval for 1^st and 2^nd reactors of Takahama Nuclear Power Plant, owned by Kansai Electric Power Company, in Fukui. That is actually the first case for nuclear power reactor to be approved its survival against a post-3.11 rule that nuclear power reactors should be killed when they would be forty years old. KEPCO and other owners are excited with a hope for improving their financial balance.

Under the administration of Democratic Party of Japan, every nuclear power reactor was basically determined to end its operation after forty years from the beginning. The regulation was set based on a scientific analysis that pressure vessel of reactor would be deteriorated by exposition to neutron for a long time. Two reactors had been destined to be ending its life this year.

However, the regulation has an exceptional rule that the reactor can be used for additional twenty years when its safety is strictly reconfirmed. While two reactors in Takahama were reaching the time limit of passing examination by July 7^th, KEPCO made every effort to maintain them. The company poured ¥380 billion into renewing the shield of cables in the reactors to reinforce them against heat or fire. NRA positively recognized those security measures.

At the beginning of NRA in 2012, Chairman Shun-ichi Tanaka told that forty years was a certain period and extension of twenty years was hard to achieve. But his words changed in four years. “Even an old reactor can overcome technological points,” said Tanaka on Wednesday. It is said that NRA was worrying about the risk of being indicted by KEPCO.

The decision of NRA left a precedent that an old reactor can survive by renewing shield of cables. News media dubbed it “Takahama Method.” KEPCO was delighted with a hope to have stable balance of company management, taking advantage of already invested assets. The government of Japan expects to achieve the goal of increasing nuclear power generation up to 20% of all power resources by 2030 through extending the life of old reactors.

But, the effort of KEPCO proved a concept that nuclear power generation is expensive. This technology of power generation has already cost hometowns of sufferers from severe accident in Fukushima, decontamination efforts by national government or deep skepticism on nuclear generation. More of it, there still is no final destination for use nuclear fuels. Japan is just addicted.