Kyushu Electric Power to decommission Genkai-2 Nuclear Power Plant

The company also seeks to revise the decommissioning plan for Genkai-1.

Kyushu Electric Power filed an application with the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan to decommission its Genkai-2 Nuclear Power Plant.

The decommissioning process is divided into four stages, namely preparing for dismantling, dismantling and removing facilities and equipment in the area surrounding the reactor, then the reactor itself, then lastly the reactor building and other structures.

The spent fuel assemblies from Unit 2 will be removed during the second stage, which is expected to occur from 2026 to 2040. It will be transferred to a licensee for reprocessing activities.

Kyushu Electric Power also asked an approval for a change to its ongoing decommissioning plan for Genkai-1. However, this will push back the completion date for the unit for 11 years, slating both units to end in 2054.

In this plan, work at Unit 1 will be slowed down for that of Unit 2 to catch up, so that the subsequent stages will occur at the same time for both units.

Currently, twenty-four reactor units in Japan are either designated to be or already being decommissioned.

The company also requested preliminary talks with Saga Prefecture and Genkai Town under nuclear safety agreements.