1 February (NucNet): Japanese utility the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has started construction of the first of its units at the Higashidori nuclear power plant site, according to a statement by Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) yesterday.
The construction of Higashidori-1 (Tepco), a 1,385-megawatt (gross) advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR), was launched on 25 January 2011 following the approval of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
Higashidori-1(Tepco) is the first of two units to be built by Tepco at the Higashidori site in Japan’s Aomori prefecture. According to JAIF, the first unit is set to enter commercial operation in March 2017.
The application to build the unit, known in Japan as an application for permission to install a reactor, was initially submitted to METI in September 2006 with the start of commercial operation originally planned for 2012. This was Tepco’s first new build application in 18 years.
Tohoku Electric Power has a 1,067-megawatt unit called “Higashidori-1 (Tohoku)” in the same location. It entered commercial operation in December 2005.
JAIF also confirmed yesterday that on 21 January, Kansai Electric Power Company’s Takahama-3 began operating with mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel.
It is the fourth commercial reactor in Japan to begin generating power using MOX fuel after Genkai-3, Ikata-3 and Fuskushima-1-3.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Tepco Delays Commercial Operation Of Four New Units (News In Brief No. 36, 27 March 2008)
Tepco Submits Application To Build New Japanese Unit (News No. 217, 10 October 2006)
