Don’t decommission N-reactors for passing nonscientific time limit

The following editorial appears in Thursday’s Yomiuri Shimbun:

A “pass certificate” has been granted for the first time to a nuclear power station that started operating more than 40 years ago. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) should proceed smoothly with final-stage safety screenings and move toward restarting the reactors.

The NRA has compiled a draft of the screening results for the Nos. 1 and 2 reactor units at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Takahama nuclear power plant, saying it has confirmed their safety in conformity with new NRA safety regulations. After collecting opinions from the public for 30 days starting Thursday, the NRA will finalize the screening results.

Revised in the wake of the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the Law on Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors stipulates that nuclear reactors must operate for no more than 40 years, in principle. The revised law features a system whereby one extension of up to 20 years per reactor can be permitted. Kansai Electric Power has been aiming to restart the two reactor units using that exceptional measure.

In the draft, the NRA concluded that appropriate measures have been taken against earthquakes, tsunami and other serious accidents. In the days ahead, Kansai Electric Power needs to obtain permission for construction plans, including reinforcement work.

The plant operator also needs to have the NRA confirm there is no deterioration of the facilities. Upon this, the plant can finally be put back into operation.

We question the fact that unless all the NRA’s safety screening procedures are completed by July 7, the time limit will have passed, forcing both reactors to be decommissioned.

No scientific basis

Kansai Electric Power plans to cover the electric power cables for the Nos. 1 and 2 reactor units at the Takahama plant with fire-resistant sheets to enhance their fire resistance and address what is considered a weak point of aged units.

The NRA will conduct tests to confirm the quake-resistance of the facilities, including having key equipment inside the reactor containers actually shaken. However, if these examinations by the NRA are delayed, will the deadline not be met for the reactor units?

Computation documents confirming the quake-resistance of the reactor units alone is massive, totaling more than 10,000 pages. Having the examinations on a tight schedule would increase the likelihood of oversights and mistakes.

The current framework is apparently problematic because “time running out” could lead to a reactor unit being decommissioned even though the NRA issued a stamp of approval regarding safety measures.

To begin with, the rule that permits reactors to operate for no more than 40 years since they started has no scientific basis. The nuclear reactor regulation law should be reviewed again.

The NRA is also moving ahead with screening the No. 3 reactor unit at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Mihama nuclear power plant, which will in November mark 40 years since it became operational. It is also problematic that many of the authority’s personnel are being used for screening aged reactors, including the two at the Takahama plant, causing screening delays at other facilities.

The government has set a target of relying on nuclear power plants to generate 20 percent to 22 percent of the nation’s overall energy supply by 2030. If reactors are decommissioned one after another on the basis of the 40-year rule and no new nuclear plants are built, then the amount of power generated by nuclear power plants will remain at around 15 percent in 2030 and fall to zero in 2049.

The use of nuclear power plants, which excel in terms of the cost of power generation and others, is essential for revitalization of the Japanese economy. It is important to continue using nuclear power as a major electricity source.

The government should not only approve an extension of the operation period of aged reactors whose safety is confirmed, but also come up with a clear policy for constructing new nuclear power plants.

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