Shikoku Electric Power Asks Japan’s NRA to Approve Ikata-2 Decommissioning Plan
On October 10, the Shikoku Electric Power Co. filed an application with the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan for approval of its decommissioning plan for the Ikata-2 Nuclear Power Plant (PWR, 566MWe). The power company also submitted requests to Ehime Prefecture and Ikata Town under the nuclear safety agreements that it has concluded with those governments for their preliminary agreements to the plan.
As in the case of Ikata-1, the decommissioning of Ikata-2 will be carried out over a period of forty years, divided into four phases, in order to ensure that all the processes—investigating for adhered radioactive materials, and dismantling each facility—are carried out safely and smoothly.
During the first phase of dismantling preparation, the 316 spent fuel assemblies stored in the unit will be separated into three areas: a dry storage facility on-site (scheduled to start operation in FY23, starting in April 2023), a spent fuel pit at the Ikata-3 NPP, and the reprocessing plant in Rokkasho Village. The 102 unused fuel assemblies, meanwhile, will be delivered to a fuel fabrication facility.
Ikata-2 has not been operational since a periodic inspection was conducted in January 2012. W...more
- 5 October, 2018 JAIF Press Briefing: President Takahashi Foresees Progress in BWR Examinations by NRA
- 28 September, 2018 NRA Approves Review Report Finding Tokai-2 NPP Compatible with New Regulatory Standards
- 28 September, 2018 Hiroshima High Court Rules to Allow Ikata-3 to Restart
- 26 September, 2018 Japanese Booth Holds Opening Ceremony at IAEA General Conference
- 20 September, 2018 62nd IAEA GC Opens: Japan’s Minister of State for Science Stresses National Policy of Reducing Plutonium Holdings
- 13 September, 2018 NRA Chairman Rebuts Idea that Hokkaido Blackouts Could Have Been Averted Had Tomari NPPs Been Restarted
- 12 September, 2018 JAEC Chairman Oka Give High Marks to the IAEA Joint Nuclear Energy Management School
- 10 September, 2018 NRA Chairman Worried that Tritium Water Storage Would Complicate Fukushima Daiichi Decommissioning
- 10 September, 2018 Explanatory Meetings and Public Hearings Held on Handling of Tritium Water in Tomioka, Koriyama and Tokyo
- 30 August, 2018 Preparations Continue to Remove Spent Nuclear Fuel from Unit 3 at Fukushima Daiichi
- 30 August, 2018 International Mentoring Workshop in Science and Engineering for Women Held in Tokyo
- 16 August, 2018 Chugoku Electric Applies for Shimane-3 Safety Examination: Second for a Reactor under Construction after Ohma NPP
- 16 August, 2018 International Forum on Decommissioning Fukushima Daiichi Highlights Remotely-Operated Systems
The Implications of Removing the “Sun Child” Statue in Fukushima
By Sae Ochi
At the end of August, a decision was made to remove a statue—named “Sun Child”—that had been erected in Fukushima after the tsunami-caused nuclear accident of March 11, 2011. The statue depicts a boy who wears a yellow protective suit but no helmet. Looking up at the sky, he has a monitor on his chest with the counter set at "000." Six meters tall, the statue has provoked strong reactions among those who have seen it.
The reason for its removal seems to be criticism from local residents. One person said, “It gives the impression that children used to wear protective suits back then.” Another resident commented, “It stokes fear that Fukushima has high levels of radiation.” Meanwhile, someone else remarked, “It would be impossible for the display to read ‘000’ since there is always some natural background radiation.”
It is not clear if any of those views represent a majority of public opinion. Indeed, many people in the prefecture, while voicing their understanding of the feelings of the statue’s critics, personally wanted the piece to remain. In the end, the decision was that it had to go as long as it hurt some residents’ feelings.
The issue inherent in this episode is not, I believe, whether Sun ...more
