Kyushu Electric Power Co. on July 7 began moving nuclear fuel into a reactor on expectations it will be the first in Japan to restart under tougher safety regulations implemented after the Fukushima disaster.
Kyushu Electric Power Co. on July 7 began moving nuclear fuel into a reactor on expectations it will be the first in Japan to restart under tougher safety regulations implemented after the Fukushima disaster.
All 157 nuclear fuel rod bundles will be transferred to the No. 1 reactor at the Sendai nuclear plant in Satsuma-Sendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, over a four-day period.
Cranes were used to move each fuel rod bundle from a storage pool in an adjacent building, and work will continue around the clock to complete the process by July 10.
Kyushu Electric Power is seeking to restart the No. 1 reactor in mid-August after the Nuclear Regulation Authority completes the final phases of its safety screening.
NRA officials will continue with their equipment screening even after the nuclear fuel is moved into the reactor. The screening is expected to take another month or so and will include confirmation that water gauges in the reactor and equipment to inject coolant are functioning properly.
The NRA will also check Kyushu Electric Power’s measures to deal with emergencies, including training exercises on how to respond to severe accidents.
If the screening process goes smoothly, Kyushu Electric Power could start up the No. 1 reactor by mid-August. Once the reactor resumes operations, NRA officials will conduct a final inspection before power generation can begin on a commercial basis by as early as mid-September.
The NRA approved the resumption of operations at the Sendai plant in September 2014, the first nuclear plant to receive such approval.
Kyushu Electric Power is also seeking to resume operations at the No. 2 reactor by mid-October at the earliest.