Chubu Electric Power, the company that manages the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station (southwestern Japan) has decided today to accept the request of the Japanese Government, which on Friday asked the indefinite suspension of operations of the reactors at the plant, because of the risk seismic zone which is located at the confluence of three tectonic plates.
Naoto Kan, Prime Minister, announced at a televised press conference took the decision to close the plant because of doubts about safety, as the government estimates that 87% chance that there occurs an earthquake of magnitude higher eight in the next 30 years. "Had an accident in Hamaoka, would have serious consequences," said Khan.
The plant is about 200 miles southwest of Tokyo. The president of Chubu, Akihisa Mizuno, explained at a press conference today that the stoppage of the plant, which will take place within several days, due to the need to prioritize the welfare of local people and to recover society's confidence in nuclear power after the crisis of Fukushima.
The decision, Mizuno explained, was made today at a special meeting of the company and taking it has been "very hard." In any case, the company president has insisted that it is a "temporary" measure, until they implement extraordinary security measures that are now called upon the Japanese Government.
The Hamaoka plant has five reactors. Two of them are dismantled. Another inspection was when the March 11 earthquake and tsunami severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power and has not reopened. Plans to build a sixth reactor and to use plutonium fuel were suspended immediately. The plant has no protection against tsunamis despite being on a dune on the coast.
Tokyo now requires a barrier, among other security measures. The company announced that it will take two to three years to implement these systems, but the sector is no doubt that Hamaoka will reopen. 
Naoto Kan, Prime Minister, announced at a televised press conference took the decision to close the plant because of doubts about safety, as the government estimates that 87% chance that there occurs an earthquake of magnitude higher eight in the next 30 years. "Had an accident in Hamaoka, would have serious consequences," said Khan.
The plant is about 200 miles southwest of Tokyo. The president of Chubu, Akihisa Mizuno, explained at a press conference today that the stoppage of the plant, which will take place within several days, due to the need to prioritize the welfare of local people and to recover society's confidence in nuclear power after the crisis of Fukushima.
The decision, Mizuno explained, was made today at a special meeting of the company and taking it has been "very hard." In any case, the company president has insisted that it is a "temporary" measure, until they implement extraordinary security measures that are now called upon the Japanese Government.
The Hamaoka plant has five reactors. Two of them are dismantled. Another inspection was when the March 11 earthquake and tsunami severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power and has not reopened. Plans to build a sixth reactor and to use plutonium fuel were suspended immediately. The plant has no protection against tsunamis despite being on a dune on the coast.
Tokyo now requires a barrier, among other security measures. The company announced that it will take two to three years to implement these systems, but the sector is no doubt that Hamaoka will reopen.
- Japan's Hamaoka Nuke Plant to Halt Operation (09/05/2011)
- Japan's Hamaoka nuclear plant to halt operations (09/05/2011)
- Japan nuclear plant at Hamaoka to be closed amid earthquake safety fears (09/05/2011)
- "Japan: Hamaoka Nuclear Plant To Suspend Operations" and related posts (09/05/2011)
- Nuclear plant in central Japan to temporarily close (09/05/2011)
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