Tohoku Electric defers safety upgrades to 796MW Onagawa-2 reactor

It is now expected to be completed by March 2023.

Japanese power utility Tohoku Electric has postponed the completion of safety countermeasures at the 796MW Onagawa-2 boiling water reactor (BWR) in the Miyagi Prefecture by two years. The upgrade project, which was previously scheduled to be finished in March 2021, is now expected to be completed in March 2023.

Also read: Japan greenlights upgrades to 825MW Onagawa-2 nuclear reactor

Tohoku Electric decided to revise the installation plan of countermeasures at the Onagawa-2 reactor after discussions with the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA).

Tohoku Electric plans to spend $3.1b (JPY340b) on a safety improvement plan at the Onagawa nuclear power plant, which consists of building a wall stretching 800 metres in length and standing as tall as 29 metres above sea level to protect the plant from tsunamis.

In February 2020, the NRA approved a report stating that countermeasures applied at the Onagawa-2 reactor are meeting revised safety standards and allowed Tohoku Electric Power to restart the reactor. Additional authorisations are required, as well as the assent of local authorities, which is not certain.

This article was originally published by Enerdata.