NRA Gives Greenlight to a Nuclear Reactor in Tomari

Nuclear Regulation Authority approved a draft report that the safety measures for reactor #3 in Tomari Nuclear Power Plant meet new governmental regulation set after severe accident in Fukushima. Although the owner, Hokkaido Electric Power Company (HEPCO), hopes to restart the reactor in 2027, it needs to obtain an approval from governor of Hokkaido who has been careful to issue it. 

Having 912 megawatts of power outlet, the unit 3 of Tomari plant, with pressurized water reactor, is known as the newest reactor in Japan that started its operation in December 2009. After the disaster in Fukushima, Tomari plant stopped in May 2012, and HEPCO requested examination for resumption to the government on the day new stricter regulation was activated in July 2013. It took 11 years and 9 months for HEPCO to pass the exam.

 

Seven reactors of four nuclear power plants in Japan also requested examination on the same day when Tomari 3rd did. They have passed by 2017. Why Tomari alone took such a long time?

 

If a reactor has an active fault underground, its operation would not be allowed. In the new regulation in 2013, a fault which has possibly moved after 120 to 130 thousand years ago would be categorized as active. Tomari 3rd has eleven faults below it. Although HEPCO argued that the faults had not moved, because layer of volcanic ash around the faults show no sign of moving. However, that layer was not found in the research. HEPCO then asserted that a layer above the fault was older than 120 to 130 thousand.

 

In 2022, Sapporo District Court ordered an injunction against operation of the reactors in Tomari, ruling that the plant failed to meet standards for tsunami. Recognizing inability of HEPCO to take sufficient measures to meet the regulation, NRA instructed HEPCO about what points were needed to be considered. It is highly unusual for a regulation authority to show an examinee the way to pass.

 

The safety measures taken by HEPCO was building seawall with height of 19 meters, with estimation of 15.68 meters of possible highest tsunami. It is supposed to cost 515 billion yen for the safety measures, that swelled 17 times from initial estimation. It also needs to take anti-terrorism measures.

 

HEPCO is facing urgent need of electricity, as a project of building a new facility to produce semiconductor in Hokkaido, which is supported by the government of Japan. It is concerned whether HEPCO can provide enough power to the facility, which is planned to start its operation in 2027.

 

The resumption of nuclear reactor requires approval of local governments. Although it is expected that Tomari Village will accept the resumption, Governor of Hokkaido, Naomichi Suzuki, has not made up his mind. The biggest concern is HEPCO has not determined how to carry nuclear fuels into the plant without negative impact on residents around the site. Considering fundamental skepticisms on nuclear power plant, passing exam does not immediately mean resumption. 

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