A nuclear reactor in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, has restarted for the first time in about 13 years. It has become the 14th reactor to be reactivated after meeting new Japan's standards introduced after meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The Chugoku Electric Power Company suspended the operation of the No. 2 reactor at its Shimane nuclear power plant in January 2012 for regular inspections.
The No. 2 unit passed the Nuclear Regulation Authority's screening in 2021.
Chugoku Electric completed construction work for safety measures in October, and finished putting nuclear fuel into the reactor in November.
At around 3 p.m. on Saturday, the operator reactivated the reactor by removing its control rods.
The utility says the reactor reached a self-sustaining chain reaction about two hours after the restart, and power generation will start later this month. Commercial operations are expected to resume in early January.
The reactor is a boiling-water type, the same as that used at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Plant.
It is the second reactor of its kind to be restarted after the 2011 disaster. The first is the No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa nuclear power plant that restarted in October.
The Shimane complex in Matsue City is the only nuclear power plant in a Japanese prefectural capital. About 450,000 people live within 30 kilometers of the facility. Any area within that distance from a nuclear power plant must be covered by an emergency evacuation plan.
The Chugoku Electric Power Company suspended the operation of the No. 2 reactor at its Shimane nuclear power plant in January 2012 for regular inspections.
The No. 2 unit passed the Nuclear Regulation Authority's screening in 2021.
Chugoku Electric completed construction work for safety measures in October, and finished putting nuclear fuel into the reactor in November.
At around 3 p.m. on Saturday, the operator reactivated the reactor by removing its control rods.
The utility says the reactor reached a self-sustaining chain reaction about two hours after the restart, and power generation will start later this month. Commercial operations are expected to resume in early January.
The reactor is a boiling-water type, the same as that used at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Plant.
It is the second reactor of its kind to be restarted after the 2011 disaster. The first is the No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa nuclear power plant that restarted in October.
The Shimane complex in Matsue City is the only nuclear power plant in a Japanese prefectural capital. About 450,000 people live within 30 kilometers of the facility. Any area within that distance from a nuclear power plant must be covered by an emergency evacuation plan.
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Summary
Nuclear Reactor in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, resumed operations after a 13-year hiatus. It is the 14th reactivated reactor post Fukushima Daiichi plant meltdowns and passed the Nuclear Regulation Authority's screening in 2021. The boiling-water type reactor reached self-sustaining chain reaction
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ID: 6da09018-26d0-4f58-9d71-2ee300c83d4d
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20241207_15/
Date: Dec. 7, 2024
Created: 2024/12/09 07:00
Updated: 2025/12/08 08:03
Last Read: 2024/12/09 07:58