Fireproofing said to be inadequate at many nuclear reactors

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  • 3

    David Quintero Navarro

    Abe needs to get his head of his oshiri! He is thinking of building NEW reactors?? What is this guy on??

  • 1

    Zetsu

    Abe wants to build new reactors trying to convince people it's a new technology therefore safe reactors... but when you read that basic fireproofing is not yet garanteed in some NPP you really wonder how safe "new technology" will be build...

    the use of combustible electrical cables and equipment and machines sited too close together, potentially allowing a fire to spread even though the equipment is indispensable for maintaining safety

    Seriously, how scary is that? How can you overview such apparently basic security standards? At least the NRA seems to do its job, but how will Abe and the LDP react to these findings? I really hope japanese people wake up and think about who they voted in...

  • 1

    Ranger_Miffy2

    oh, great.

  • 2

    Aristoman

    So this means that politicians and NPP regulators have lied and lied about security on NPP teaching kids already in school how strong and wonderfull NPPs are. PS. I would like to hear also some positive news from Japan. There are many good things happening in Tohoku. Nonprofit organizations helping to children etc...I'm tired of bitching.

  • 1

    CherokeeMut

    We really need to push for use of alternative energy sources where ever and whenever can be implemented. An integration of multiple power generating technologies (like solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, etc...) should be feeding the grid.

  • 2

    Disillusioned

    What is this "is said to be" crap? Either it is or it isn't! And, sadly, I am sure the latter is the case, which means, they should be upgraded. I am so sick of hearing about all the inadequacies of Japanese nuclear power safety. Obviously, this country is incapable of efficiently managing nuclear energy. Abe should be more concerned with paying for the last nuclear disaster instead of creating more potential catastrophes!

  • 2

    Christopher Blackwell

    But I bet Abe can get all kinds of encouragement to make more and better nuclear disasters. Think of al the ways to make money off of building them, all the corners that can be cut and all the profits that can be made from the disasters as well. We are talking of trillions of Yen. What is a few deaths when there is so much money to be made, especially when those that cause the deaths and destruction will never get punished nor forced to pay the cost.

  • 1

    Rick Kisa

    The pro-business Liberal Democratic Party-led government said last week it would give the green light to restarting any reactors deemed safe by regulators. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has also voiced his willingness to build new reactors.

    Abe's LDP seems to be more pro-nuclear than pro- industry. The industry and economy problems started well before the 3/11 when all nuke plants were working. Abe seems to believe promoting nuke energy is the only way industry and economy can develop which is not entirely right....

  • -2

    GW

    Like we needed more proof the nuke plants are unsafe........................

    And AMAZINGLY it appears the NRA is taking its job seriously! AMAZINGLY RARE in Japan for a regulatory authority!

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    GW: "And AMAZINGLY it appears the NRA is taking its job seriously! AMAZINGLY RARE in Japan for a regulatory authority!"

    It IS pretty amazing and surprising, isn't it? What's NOT surprising is that the reactors will get the go ahead anyway, safe or unsafe, and new reactors will be built under the cheapest yakuza construction firm and will be no safer.

  • 7

    zichi

    It will cost billions to update the safety at the atomic plants while the fulll extend of the new safety standards won't be known until about July. The sea wall at Hamaoka is costing ¥200 billion and KEPCO said it'll cost ¥200 billion to updates its Oi plant. These increased safety costs will land at the feet of power consumers and or taxpayers, but certainly not the power companies.

    It will cost many billions and take many decades to decommission reactors, the cost is suppose to be made by the power companies since its part of the power charge calculationn but if and when decommissioning happens I can see that cost going to the taxpayer and not the power companies.

    If new reactors were built it can only be achieved with massive subsidies from the taxpayer. It would take many decades to replace all the current reactors.

    The final cost of dealing with the nuclear disaster with be ¥50+ trillion and again it'll be paid by the taxpayer.

    The taxpayer is paying a very heavy price for nuclear energy, and whatever else it is, its certainly not "cheap, safe or clean."

    The NRA appears to be doing a much better job than both the two pervious safety agencies but its legal position or its legal powers to shut down or give permission for a reactor restart seem unclear.

    PM Abe will certainly attempt to change the structure of the NRA so the power to shut down or restart a reactor will lie with the PM.

  • 1

    YongYang

    EVERYTHING is totally inadequate at ALL NRs

  • 3

    lesenfant

    The nuclear power industry in the country is beyond repair.

  • 2

    japan123

    @Rick kisa

    Abe seems to believe promoting nuke energy is the only way industry and economy can develop which is not entirely right....

    Spot-on man! Question: what is LDP's energy strategy n policy that guides PM's actions. People (and the rest of the world) are looking for sustainable energy policies and strategies that deliver safe, less costly, clean, environmentally friendly energy. From all accounts since the fukushima fall-out, nuke energy is not safe, clean and cheap! Less than one week in power and Abe, still living in the past, has said nothing but only talking about restarts and building new nuke plants, amazing how some of these so-called leaders behave when elected. Does Abe know that a campaign to save energy alone would be equivalent to building 2 expensive nuke reactors....?????

  • 2

    warnerbro

    Where are the pro nukes again today? Why aren't you telling us the reactors are safe, that these issues are just trivial formalities, that Abe is a sage in a suit? Could it be that you've realised your position is wrong?

  • -2

    basroil

    They really need to update building codes for ALL electrical generation stations, especially those that have combustible fuels which are far more of an issue than a few cables in a concrete building

  • -2

    basroil

    Rick KisaJan. 02, 2013 - 12:10PM JST

    Abe seems to believe promoting nuke energy is the only way industry and economy can develop which is not entirely right....

    Well, electrical prices did go up over 10% for businesses, and generation from oil (which used to be less than 20% but now over 30%) will cause those prices to increase even more, since those prices have gone up 10% since Sept. simply due to the exchange rate (on top of >15% increase in crude prices since 2010).

    However, this fireproofing likely has nothing to do with the reactors themselves, rather the generation equipment and possibly redundant control areas. This is applicable to all generation plants, especially those being overused right now. Only thing worse than a radiation release in the middle of nowhere is a gas explosion in a major city (not actually true, as there are many worse things, but you can live with one very pertinent example).

  • 0

    Cortes Elijah

    Say NO to nuke power....We all know nuke power is 'baka'.

  • 0

    bajhista65

    What is else is new with these Nuke reactor companies. It's all about cost cutting and greed for huge profit.

  • 0

    nandakandamanda

    What the above article does not make clear here: " equipment and machines sited too close together, potentially allowing a fire to spread even though the equipment is indispensable for maintaining safety...." is that there are cases where the back-up cooling pumps and generators in Back-up System One are built right next to Back-up System Two. In other words a fire in either could wipe out both back-up cooling systems to the reactor at the same time, leaving no redundancy at all.

  • 0

    nandakandamanda

    In Japanese, but see a diagram of this here: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20130101-00000006-mai-soci.view-000

  • 0

    nandakandamanda

    A culture of security and overconfidence?

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