News Watch
Onagawa and Shimane Unit 2 Reactors Restarted
Nuclear reactors of the same type as Fukushima’s have been restarted at two nuclear power plants (NPPs), marking the first time in the 13 and a half years that have passed since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident that this type of reactor has been allowed to operate. As we reported in the previous News Watch, the Onagata Unit 2 reactor (BWR, 825 MW) was started up on 29 October 2024, but the attempt to resume electric power generation on November 3 failed. On November 13 the reactor was started up again. On December 5, after another interruption, effects from dust in the sea-water system were found, resulting in a further delay of a day, but the reactor was restarted again and began generating electricity on December 7. Commercial operation was resumed on December 26.
The Shimane Unit 2 reactor (BWR, 820 MW) was restarted on December 7. A problem occurred on the 12th, with a false indication of functional failure of a water level monitor, but electric power generation was resumed on December 23, and on 10 January 2025, after another shutdown, commercial operation was resumed.
Provisional Operating Plan Announced for Rokkasho Reprocessing and MOX Fuel Fabrication Plants
Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) announced on 13 December 2024 that it had submitted a provisional operation plan for FY 2025-29 for its Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant and MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant. It is planning to start reprocessing in FY2027 and MOX fuel fabrication in FY2030.
In response to that, Kansai Electric Power Co. (Kanden) briefed Fukui Prefectural officials on its review of spent fuel measures. It will present a new road map to the prefecture in FY2024, as promised, but many prefectural assembly members, including its Liberal Democratic Party (LDP; conservative mainstream) members, have expressed distrust.
Kanden President Mori Nozomu paid a New Year’s call to Fukui Governor Sugimoto Tatsuji on 10 January 2025, saying that in February he hoped to present to the assembly a roadmap which he felt confident would be effective. The governor replied, “The revised roadmap will need to be discussed by the prefectural assembly, the local assemblies of the towns and cities where the plants are located, and the Fukui Monitoring Council. I would like a system to be established by which plans can be presented as quickly as possible, enabling an adequate amount of time to be taken to explain them.”
MOX Fuel Fabrication Contracts Concluded for Genkai and Ikata Unit 3 Reactors
Kyushu Electric Power Co. concluded a contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) on 18 October 2024 for the processing of 40 MOX fuel assemblies for the Genkai Unit 3 reactor (PWR, 1180 MW), and on November 29 Shikoku Electric Power Co. also contracted with MHI for the processing of 24 MOX fuel assemblies for Ikata Unit 3 (PWR, 890 MW). MHI itself is recontracting the MOX fuel fabrication work to Orano in France. As a result, Kyushu Electric Power Co. is expected no longer to have plutonium holdings overseas. Regarding Shikoku Electric Power Co.’s plutonium holdings in the UK, through cooperation with other electric power companies, it will its exchange ownership of that with plutonium held in France by Tohoku Electric Power Co., Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Chubu Electric Power, Hokuriku Electric Power Co. and Japan Atomic Power Co., and use that instead.
MOU on Assistance for Developing Nuclear Power in Poland
Takeuchi Shinji, Japan’s Parliamentary Secretary of Economy, Trade and Industry, visited Romania and Poland on 3 to 9 November 2024 together with a total of 23 energy-related companies and government agencies. On November 7, he and the Japanese companies met with Marzena Czarnecka, Poland’s Minister of Industry and discussed the possibility of cooperation between the two countries centering around the field of nuclear power. They signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Czarnecka on cooperation in that field.
An article in the November 12 issue of The Electric Newspaper explains the context of the signing of this MOU as follows:
- The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF) will also participate in the framework of this cooperation.
- Financial support from government-affiliated financial institutions such as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) will also be considered.
- Toshiba Energy Systems aims to receive orders for steam turbines and generators and to provide after-sales service for the AP1000, which will be Poland’s first NPP. IHI says it hopes to participate in supplying equipment too.
- GE Hitachi Nuclear of the US aims to receive small modular reactor (SMR) orders.
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is collaborating with the National Center for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) in Poland on the basic design for a high-temperature gas reactor.
