July 5, 2018

The Nuclear Regulation Authority on July 4 judged that the Tokai Daini nuclear power plant in Tokai Village in Ibaraki Prefecture, which will be operating beyond the 40-year-limit in five months, complies with the new safety standards.

Nuclear reactors at this NPP are boiling water types like at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP where the nuclear meltdown accident occurred in 2011. Within the 30km radius of the Tokai Daini are 960,000 local residents, the largest population compared to all the other NPPs in Japan. Any municipalities located within a 30km radius of NPPs are required to have an evacuation plan as the government designates them as evacuation areas in the event of a nuclear accident.

The Tokai Daini was damaged by the 2011 major earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The fierce shaking at that time cut the NPP's external power supply and the tsunami destroyed one of the three emergency generators at the NPP.

In addition to the NRA's "complies" conclusion, the operator Japan Atomic Power Company, in order to keep the Tokai Daini in operation, must obtain an approval for the extension of the use of the NPP and for the work plan before the 40-year-limit expires in November. If failing to receive authorization, the reactors at the Tokai Daini will be decommissioned.

After getting state approval, utilities must gain local consent. The Japan Atomic Power Co. already has an agreement on prior approval for the NPP’s operation with the Ibaraki prefectural government, the Tokai Village government, and surrounding five municipal governments.

Past related articles:
> Local residents want the decommission of aging reactors at Tokai Daini NPP [November 25, 2017]
> Extension of ‘40-year’ limit to operation of nuclear reactors deepens public concern over nuclear power generation [November 21, 2016]