Japan Nuclear Reactor Operation Ratio Hits Record Low In October

Japan Nuclear Reactor Operation Ratio Hits Record Low In October
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Παρ, 4 Νοεμβρίου 2011 - 18:33
The operation ratio of Japan's 54 commercial nuclear reactors in October fell to a record low of 18.5% amid the Fukushima nuclear crisis, renewing the previous record of 20.6% marked in September, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum said Friday, Kyodo News reported.
The operation ratio of Japan 's 54 commercial nuclear reactors in October fell to a record low of 18.5% amid the Fukushima nuclear crisis, renewing the previous record of 20.6% marked in September, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum said Friday, Kyodo News reported.

As of the end of October, only 10 of the 54 rectors were in operation in the wake of the
Fukushima disaster in March, with the No. 4 rector at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai plant in Saga Prefecture suspended between Oct. 4 and Nov. 1 due to troubles caused by mistakes in compiling its operation procedures.

The equivalent data have been available since April 1977.

The operation ratio has followed a declining path since March, when it stood at 58.3%, according to the forum.

While nuclear reactors idled for regular checkups must pass stress tests designed to determine if they can withstand major earthquakes or tsunami before being allowed to resume operation, such test result has been reported to the government so far only from the No. 3 reactor at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi plant in Fukui Prefecture.

However, as it will take time for the government to examine the test results and for the utility to secure local approval for reactivating the reactor, it is unclear when the reactor can resume operation.

The latest operation ratio data still include four damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, as they are not yet in the decommissioning process in accordance with law.

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