The Shikoku Electric Power Company, operator of the Ikata nuclear power plant in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture, is investigating a warning signal that has been discovered at the fuel unit of the plant’s No. 3 reactor, Japanese Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday, January 21st.
According to the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, no radioactive material has leaked from the reactor, and workers are currently investigating the accident. The alarm was raised after the fuel unit accidentally fell from the elevator during maintenance work.
The Hiroshima Supreme Court had postponed the planned resumption of operations at “Ikata” reactor No. 3 due to concerns that Shikoku Electric Power Company had failed to properly assess the risks from nearby activity that could lead to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the region.
Operations were suspended at Reactor No. 3 at the “Ikata” npp last month when the reactor was operated offline for inspection and maintenance. Before the court’s decision, the reactor was supposed to resume operation in April.
After the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in 2011, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Japan imposed a maximum of 40 years on the life of the country’s nuclear reactors, but added the possibility of a 20-year extension if strict safety measures were met.
In addition, in April 2019, the International Atomic Energy Agency tightened rules for obtaining new licenses, requiring operators of nuclear facilities to upgrade infrastructure at their facilities within the specified deadlines to meet new safety measures.
