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Kansai Electric applies to extend life of 2 aging reactors

14 Comments

Kansai Electric Power Co (KEPCO) has submitted a request to the Nuclear Regulation Authority to extend the operational period of the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at its Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture.

Both reactors are currently offline. The No. 1 reactor is already more than 40 years old, which is the limit set by a law regulating the operation of nuclear plants, while the No. 2 reactor will turn 40 in November.

KEPCO made the application after its president, Makoto Yagi, told a news conference on April 30 that the utility reported a group net loss of 148.38 billion yen for fiscal 2014 due to the cost of thermal power generation to replace nuclear power.

KEPCO received a setback last month when the Fukui District Court issued an injunction to prevent the restart of the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the Takahama plant.

Local residents had sought an injunction against the No. 3 and 4 reactors at Takahama, arguing that restart plans underestimate earthquake risks, fail to meet tougher safety standards and lack credible evacuation measures.

All four reactors, located on the Fukui coast, had already met safety regulations set by the nuclear regulator and were expected to be restarted some time this year.

Kansai Electric, which raised prices by 14% last month for its corporate customers, serves Japan's second most important economic region, where companies including Panasonic Corp and Sharp Corp are headquartered.

Japan has been importing record amounts of liquefied natural gas and coal to fill the gap for power generation.

Imports of LNG and coal are expected to stay high unless Japan moves to start more than a few reactors, analysts have said.

© Japan Today/Thomson Reuters

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Kansai Electric applies to extend life of 2 aging reactors

Why not drill a hole in them to save on cooling costs, too?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Kansai Electric applies to extend life of 2 aging reactors?

The No. 1 reactor is already more than 40 years old, which is the limit SET by a LAW regulating the operation of nuclear plants, while the No. 2 reactor will turn 40 in November. How can Kansai Electric APPLY to extend the life of two nuclear plants that are older than the LAW allows? I guess giving money to key, corrupted officials, supersedes the law.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

These reactors were only built to last 30 years. By TEPCO's own admission, the meltdowns were caused by failing to properly maintain and upgrade the aging reactors. Now, we have these clowns pleading to have the same aged reactors brought back online with virtually no upgrades at all? These wombats remind me of the scene from the Simpsons where Bart kept touching the buzzer and getting zapped. Even the youngest child knows, if you play with fire you will get burned. Grow up KEPCO!

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Two more Fukushima's in the making. And I don't think it is nice to leave future generations with taking care of our trash for 10,000 years. And what about after the collapse of techno-scientific civilization, when there will be no social organization to take care of the waste? It is all over.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

A constant battle between money and power , which as always, leave the vast majority of people who wish only to live in peace and harmony, without a word to say... It seem that they are some who continue to find more acceptable solutions to the energy problem ; just a very small example : http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/05/tesla-powerwall-a-battery-for-your-home/ or Solarroadways invented by Scott Brusaw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlTA3rnpgzU http://goo.gl/bRNnVn Hemp as fuel of energy source: It is possible to produce all of our energy with Cannabis Hemp. The unique growing properties of the plant make it the ideal crop for our energy needs. One acre of Cannabis Hemp can produce 1000 gallons of methanol in a single growing season. Any CO2 released from burning Cannabis Hemp would be the same CO2 the plant had already taken from the environment, creating what is called a closed carbon cycle. A closed carbon cycle system of energy production would slow down the effects of global warming, and with well-implemented plant growth could possibly stop global warming entirely. No other plant on earth could meet the needs of global energy consumption, but Cannabis Hemp could. : http://www.hemphasis.net/Fuel-Energy/fuel.htm http://hempethics.weebly.com/hemp-and-sustainability.html Non toxic material made from hemp can replace plastic: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/01/28/new-plastic-zeoform-turns-hemp-into-almost-anything/ Soil enrichment: The hemp crop grows dense and vigorously. Sunlight cannot penetrate the plants to reach the ground, and this means the crop is normally free of weeds. Its deep roots use ground water and reduce its salinity. Also, erosion of topsoil is limited, thereby reducing water pollution. The roots give nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil. After the harvest, this soil makes excellent compost amendments for other plants, and hemp cultivation can follow the rotation of agriculture with wheat or soybean. In fact, the same soil can be used to grow hemp for many years, without losing its high quality. The hemp plant absorbs toxic metals emitted by nuclear plants into the soil, such as copper, cadmium, lead and mercury. Water and soil purification

Hemp can be used as a "mop crop" to clear impurities out of wastewater, such as sewage effluent, excessive phosphorus from chicken litter, or other unwanted substances or chemicals. Eco-technologist Dr. Keith Bolton from Southern Cross University in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, is a leading researcher in this area. Hemp is being used to clean contaminants at the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site. This is known as phytoremediation - the process of clearing radioisotopes as well as a variety of other toxins from the soil, water, and air.[45]

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Kansai Electric, which raised prices by 14% last month for its corporate customers, serves Japan’s second most important economic region, where companies including Panasonic Corp and Sharp Corp are headquartered.

...and how much price raise is imposed on millions of people residing in the same region?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

the utility reported a group net loss of 148.38 billion yen for fiscal 2014 due to the cost of thermal power generation to replace nuclear power.

No. The reason for their loss is because those plants wouldn't have been operating anyway because they exceeded their legal operating limit and the company completely failed to plan for alternative power sources after the nuclear power plants shut down. Don't go around blaming everyone else for your lack of planning KEPCO.

Also, let me get this straight... the director of the company admits to breaking the law by exceeding the safe operating limits of nuclear power plants and files paperwork to that effect with a judge and... he's not in prison?

Why?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Zichi: The normal life cycle of the reactors are now 40 years but the power companies can apply for a 20 year extension provided they undergo stringent Nuclear Regulation Authority tests.

Thank you for the information! I was wondering if you knew any details of what those "stringent" test are? Also curious if there is anyway for the public to verify if those test are truly being done, or do we have to just trust what KEPCO & the NRA says?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

40 years? It is time to decommission those plants.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I don't understand why Japan doesn't go for hydro, solar, or wind power.. Not to mention a couple of large geothermal plants would be super successful with their volcanic activity...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Zichi: As always, thank you for your time and information you provided. I will read the links and the annual reports you suggested.

I was in no way suggesting that the nuclear disaster was caused simply by the age of the power plant. Though I do see a connection related to no one being held accountable for avoiding previous safety issues & recommendations.

I guess the government has the final say, no matter what the NRA says. Plus a new secrecy act that covers energy production, economy and national security, nuclear details could fall under any, or all of those categories.

Due to past nuclear culture & actions, and now with new commitment to produce 22% nuclear energy, I'm personally not all that confidant we will hear every detail of why certain nuclear plants are given the green light.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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We all know that the wind doesn’t blow consistently and the sun doesn’t shine every day, - he said, “but the nuclear industry would have you believe that humankind is smart enough to develop techniques to store nuclear waste for a quarter of a million years, but at the same time human kind is so dumb we can’t figure out a way to store solar electricity overnight. To me that doesn’t make sense.”> http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2015/05/01/did-tesla-just-kill-nuclear-power/?utm_source=followingweekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20150504**

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-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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