Japan utility KEPCO to shut down reactor over missed pipe inspections

Kyodo News International, Tokyo --Aug. 18--TOKYO

Aug. 18--TOKYO -- Accident-hit Kansai Electric Power Co. said Wednesday it has failed to carry out pipe inspections at 11 designated points at three of its nuclear reactors in Fukui Prefecture, adding that it would immediately shut down the one reactor currently in service.

The pipes in question are at the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant and the No. 3 reactor at the Oi Nuclear Power Plant, according to KEPCO. Operations at the latter two reactors have already been suspended.

The revelation comes amid KEPCO investigations following the country's deadliest nuclear plant accident Aug. 9 at its Mihama Nuclear Power Plant, when steam from a ruptured pipe killed four people and injured seven others.

KEPCO, the country's second largest utility, had not inspected the corroded pipe since the reactor went onstream in 1976.

Other power companies reported to the Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency on Wednesday that they have carried out inspections on all pipes at their thermal and nuclear plants.

With the shutting down of the No. 3 reactor at the Takahama plant, seven of KEPCO's 11 nuclear reactors will be out of service.

They include the No. 3 reactor involved in the accident at the Mihama plant.

Eight of the 11 inspection points that were overlooked involved pipes at the Takahama No. 3 reactor, including the main water pipes.

A KEPCO official said, "Since we inspected the same points at the Takahama No. 4 reactor, which is the same type, we concluded that the pipes were safe." The latest revelations bring to 15 the total number of places that KEPCO has yet to check, not including locations on the pipe involved in the Mihama accident.

KEPCO admitted on Monday it failed to inspect supplementary steam pipes at four locations -- the Mihama No. 3 reactor, the No. 1 reactor at Takahama, and the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the Oi plant.

KEPCO said last Friday it will suspend operations of all its nuclear reactors to check pipe safety.

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