Unit 3 of the Ohi nuclear power plant in Japan's Fukui Prefecture reached criticality this morning, operator Kansai Electric Power Company announced. The reactor - the sixth to be restarted after clearing the country's revised safety regulations - is expected to resume commercial operation early next month.
The Japanese nuclear regulator has approved the Japan Atomic Energy Agency's plans for decommissioning the Monju prototype fast breeder reactor. JAEA submitted the plan - which had earlier been approved by a government-appointed team - to the Nuclear Regulation Authority in December last year.
Unit 2 of the Ikata nuclear power plant in Japan's Ehime prefecture is to be decommissioned, Shikoku Electric Power Company announced today. It becomes the ninth operable Japanese reactor to be declared for decommissioning since the Fukushima Daiichi accident.
Kyushu Electric Power Company today began the process of restarting operation of unit 3 at its Genkai nuclear power plant in Japan's Saga prefecture. The reactor is scheduled to resume commercial operation next month.
Kansai Electric Power Company has applied for Japanese government approval to decommission units 1 and 2 of its Ohi nuclear power plant. The company will later submit a detailed decommissioning plan for the two 1175 MWe pressurised water reactors.
A small drone is to be deployed to measure radiation levels at the damaged reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The UK-developed RISER - Remote Intelligence Survey Equipment for Radiation - has already been used successfully at Sellafield, in England.
A cover has been installed over the fuel handling machine that will help remove fuel from the storage pool of unit 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The removal of the fuel is scheduled to start in mid-2018.