Chubu Electric Power Co has begun dismantling a nuclear reactor in Shizuoka Prefecture, making it the country's first commercial reactor to undergo the process, the utility said.
The company started the disassembly work on Monday by removing the top lid of the pressure vessel of the Hamaoka plant's No. 2 unit in Omaezaki. Dismantling is considered the third of the four phases in decommissioning nuclear installations.
The lid, with a diameter of about 6 meters, about 3 meters in height and about 80 centimeters in thickness, was removed by a crane.
Since a disposal site for burying radioactive waste generated in the dismantling process has yet to be selected, Chubu Electric said it will store the waste inside a reactor building.
In December, the Nuclear Regulation Authority gave approval to the utility to enter into the third phase of decommissioning the Hamaoka Nos. 1 and 2 reactors. Chubu Electric began preparation for dismantling the No. 2 unit first as it secured a site to temporarily store its radioactive waste before doing so for the No. 1 unit.
Chubu Electric plans to begin the fourth phase -- tearing down the reactor building -- in fiscal 2036 and complete the decommissioning work in fiscal 2042.
The No. 2 reactor went online in 1978 but ceased operating in 2009.
While Chubu Electric initially planned to begin the dismantling process in fiscal 2023, it postponed the start of work for a year to study measures against radiation exposure. It also extended last year the duration of dismantling work from six to 12 years.
© KYODO
14 Comments
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HopeSpringsEternal
Besides these reactors being very old and therefore far less safe than when originally built, the legacy technology itself is even more dated and dangerous.
Japan cannot afford another Fukushima Daiichi meltdown. Far safer nuclear tech. exists that operates at far lower temperatures, making meltdowns impossible.
Decommissioning for $DECADES, Environmentally Risky, and thus such legacy reactors were never economically actually justifiable, unlike modern small modular reactors
wallace
The decommission costs covered by law are the responsibility of the power companies. A small charge is added to the monthly bill. When applying for a decommissioning license the power company must show the work will be complete within 50 years. And they have the money in the bank to cover all costs.
Lindsay
They are dismantling the containment vessel but have nowhere to store the nuclear fuel rods. This would mean there is no protection if there is an accident with the rods. Is anybody else having flashbacks to Chernobyl?
garymalmgren
This has no connection to Chernobyl at all.
The fuel rods will be stored in pools like they have been for the last 50 years.
Nothing new or radical there.
However, you are correct that Japan has not organized long term storage for high level waste like the containment vessels and highly contaminated pipes and pumping systems and so on.
My guess is that they will wait till the crunch comes and then load it all off to Aomori saying , "We are sorry for the inconvenience, but it can't be helped".
By then the population in that area will be so low that there will be almost no resistance.
As there shouldn't be.
gary
wallace
The reprocessing plant in Aomori is at more than 90% capacity for nuclear fuel rods. They will be kept at the various plants until the government decides on building a nuclear waste storage site.
garymalmgren
RE; The reprocessing plant in Aomori is at more than 90% capacity for nuclear fuel rods.
Strange. the Aomori nuclear storage facility has not been fully opened yet.
Quote. "Currently, Japan's nuclear waste is stored at power plants operated by utilities. "
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15366939
HopeSpringsEternal
Japan will have an even harder time attracting workers and capital if the consensus view is it's too risky due to legacy nuclear reactors vs. modern safe nuclear tech.
Furthermore, the people living in Japan will not feel added stress and a greater lack of confidence in the future as well = never a good outcome for society.
Sometimes, like now, major policy shifts needed when failed polices become "too costly" and "too risky".
HopeSpringsEternal
Japan will have an even harder time attracting workers and capital if the consensus view is it's too risky due to legacy nuclear reactors vs. modern safe nuclear tech.
Furthermore, the people living in Japan will feel added stress and a greater lack of confidence in the future as well = never a good outcome for society.
Sometimes, like now, major policy shifts needed when failed polices become "too costly" and "too risky".
wallace
garymalmgren
Sorry, I am corrected. Misread an article. Storage at nuclear plants is at 80-90% capacity. There is an interim storage at Aomori.
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15441943
Peter Neil
the average age of u.s. nuclear power plants is 42-years old, older than japan. decommissioning cost is factored in with construction and operating costs.
storage of spent fuel rods until cooled is not a problem anywhere in the world. it’s not as much as some may think.
and there are no small modular reactors. people are “thinking about” developing them.
nuclear power remains the most cost efficient method of generating electricity.
MiuraAnjin
Unfortunately, 12 years ago British Nuclear Fuels finally admitted that it would take an unknown amount of time, and an unfathomable amount of money, to decommission the world's first nuclear power plant - Sellafield, nee Windscale.
Since then they've decided to build another NPP on the same site and leave the clean up for future generations to worry about.
Sanjinosebleed
More accidents waiting to happen from this dangerous and lethal technology!
Storage of the waste from these increasingly aged facilities is going to be impossible to find.The storage itself of radioactive waste that has lifespan measured in thousands of years not decades is also going to be a huge problem and Safety concern!
This along with the increasing number of facilities that need to be decommissioned is probably a major reason theJGOV foolishly allowed most of these aging and dangerous facilities to continue operation as even if they were decommissioned there is nowhere to store the huge amounts of lethal radioactive waste generated!
wallace
The power companies have applied for licenses to decommission 20 reactors.
https://www.jepic.or.jp/pub/pdf/epijJepic2020.pdf
ian
Already being dismantled but still no storage for radioactive waste. Wow