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Fukushima

Chubu Electric refuses Prime Minister’s request to shut down nuke plant, for now

Prime Minister Naoto Kan had asked Chubu Electric Power Company to shut down their Hamaoka nuke plant, because it turns out that it is right over a convergence of fault lines, and scientists expect a magnitude 8+ quake.

Hamaoka is south west of Tokyo. Kan wants CEPCo to shut down the plant, and reinforce the reactors to withstand an 8+ quake.

CEPCo officials studied several options, including how to pay for the cost of reinforcing their nuclear plant.  They decided they don’t have the money to reinforce the plant, and it would not be feasible to raise electric rates high enough to pay for it (because customers would refuse to pay the higher rates).

CEPCo also decided that shutting down the plant would make the already bad situation, for Japanese industries dealing with lack of power, even worse.

CEPCo is not ruling out shutting down the Hamaoka plant, if they can do it with out reducing electrical power, and find money to pay for the reinforcing.

Fukushima

TEPCo: problems with another Japan nuke plant

Tokyo Electric Power Company announced early May 2, that another of their nuclear plants in Japan is in trouble.  The Tsuruga nuclear plant is having technical problems, resulting in overheating.

The plant is around 450 km (280 miles) west of Tokyo, in Fukui prefecture.  TEPCo says the problem is so bad they are considering shutting down the whole plant.  There is a possible leak of iodine from Tsuruga nuclear plant #2 reactor’s nuclear fuel assemblies into its coolant.

Fukushima

Toyota has better idea of how bad the parts supply problem is

Toyota officials claim they have a better idea of the parts supply problem, but they refuse to go into any detail.

Supplies of microchips, rubber materials and paint additives are the main problems (affected by the loss of electrical power by the shutdown of nuclear plants, most of Japan’s electricity comes from nuclear power).  However, Toyota officials refuse to discuss how many parts they might have, or if there are going to be anymore production delays.

One Toyota official said they normally have two and a half months of inventory on hand, but did not elaborate.

Fukushima, U.S.

U.S. nuke plant shut down because of failed electronics, another nuke plant down because of grass

Last week reactor 1 of Plant Vogtle nuclear plant, near Waynesboro, Georgia, shut down, on 20 April 2011, without explanation.  Company officials say they are replacing a breaker and other electronic equipment.  They don’t know why the equipment failed.

In Delaware, on 21 April 2011, the Salem 1 nuclear reactor was shut down because of grass.  The Salem plant is along the Delaware river, and plants periodically grow over the water intakes of the nuke plant.  Salem 1 had to be shut down because the plant growth was blocking cooling water from coming into the reactor.  Officials say it’s back on line now.

Surprisingly, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says unexpected shutdowns of nuclear reactors happen every year.

 

Fukushima

Reactor 4 to be reinforced

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the spent fuel pool, located above reactor 4, is too weak to take any more water.  Also, it is cause for concern with any more aftershocks.   There are more than 1,000 fuel rods in the pool.

They will now try to reinforce the floor of the pool, by adding additional support pillars.

Fukushima, U.S.

Two U.S. Nuke Plants shut down, one for no apparent reason

At least two nuclear plants in the United States have been automatically shut down this week.  A nuclear plant in Virgina, and a nuclear plant in Georgia.

In Surry, Virginia, a nuke plant was hit by tornadoes.  It shut down automatically, and is now undergoing repairs to its electrical switchyard.

A nuke plant in Georgia automatically shut down, for no reason.  The plant remains off line while an investigation continues to find out why the automatic systems shut it down.  The plant is near Waynesboro, Georgia.

Fukushima

Radiation into Pacific Ocean 20,000 times safe limits

Tokyo Electric Power Company has given an estimate on the amount of radiation spilled into the Pacific Ocean, during the first week of April: 4,700 terabecquerels, 20,000 times the safe limits for an entire year!  Contaminated water is still getting into the ocean.

Radioactive iodine levels on 02 April 2011, were 7.5 million times safe limits.  As of 19 April, iodine levels had dropped to 1,700 times the safe limits.

 

 

Fukushima, U.S.

Planned Texas Nuke Plant, Abandoned

A company that was going to build two reactors in Texas, abandoned the plan.

NRG Energy, in cooperation with Toshiba, was planning on building two reactors in Texas. The company now says the investment environment has become too risky to continue with the plans.  They will now write off U.S.$ 481 million on their taxes, for the canceled project.

 

Fukushima, Technology

Black Week in Ukraine, Chernobyl anniversary, still seeking funds with ongoing clean up efforts

25 years after the deadly nuclear accident at the Chernobyl plant, the Ukraine is still struggling to deal with the disaster.

This week is Black Week, the official anniversary of the nuclear accident, which happened on 26 April 1986.  31 people were killed, as a direct result of the disaster, and many more have suffered cancers, and children being born with defects.

The amazing thing is that clean up efforts continue, and the Ukraine is struggling to pay for it.   Officials are trying to raise U.S.$ 1 billion for future clean up projects.