Regulators Prioritize Japan's Sendai Nuclear Power Plant for Final Safety Review

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) opted Thursday to prioritize the safety reviews for the No.1 and No. 2 reactors of the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant (Satsumasendai, Japan). The decision makes the reactors the first that could pass the NRA's more stringent safety requirements in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

A total of 17 reactors for 10 nuclear power plants are awaiting safety review inspections under the new requirements. The new standards were added to the safety review following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster in 2011.

The Sendai facility is operated by Kyushu Company Incorporated (TSE:9508) (Fukuoka, Japan). The company had submitted documents for the NRA safety review in July 2013.

The NRA commissioners agreed that the plant's No. 1 and No.2 reactors passed the necessary requirements to move to the final phase of the safety review.

"We are satisfied with the measures that Kyushu Electric has shown against serious accidents," said Toyoshi Fuketa, the commissioner in charge of facility safety and countermeasures.

Kunihiko Shimazaki, the commissioner in charge of natural disasters, said the plant was assessed for safety in the event of an earthquake and tsunami. "No.1 and No.2 reactors at Sendai Nuclear Power Plant cleared the major issues," said Chairman Shunichi Tanaka.

The NRA will write a report that summarizes the results of the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant's safety review. Also, the NRA plans to open the review to external technical ideas and will conduct a local hearing. It will then consider final approval for the restart.

After the restarts are approved by the NRA and by the Kagoshima prefectural government, it is estimated that Sendai Nuclear Power Plant would operational by July.

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