Nuclear Power Plants

The Virtual Nuclear Tourist !!! Nuclear Power Plants Around the World

Nuclear Power Plants - Japan

Japan has 53 nuclear units that can produce 42,369 MWe distributed on the home islands. Electric utilities with nuclear plants include - Hokkaido, Shikoku, Chubu, Tokyo, Tohoku, Hokuriku, Chugoku, Kansai, and Kyushu. Two other organizations with nuclear facilities are - Japan Atomic Power Company and Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute. Below is a description of each nuclear unit.

Chubu Electric operates the Hamaoka 1, 2, 3, and 4 Toshiba BWR units at Hamaoka-cho, Shizuoka. The units' elctrical output and operational dates are:

The Shimane 1and 2 units are located at Kashima-cho, Shimane. Shimane 1 is an early Hitachi BWR of 439 MWe, which started up in December 1973. Unit 2, also a Hitachi BWR, started up in July 1988 and produces 791 MWe.

Tomari 1 and 2 are 550 MWe units located at Tomari-mura, Hokkaido. The 2 Mitsubishi PWR units started in Dec. 1988 and August 1990.

Hokuriku Electric has a single Hitachi BWR, Shika 1, rated at 513 MWe. Located at Shika-machi, Ishikawa, the unit started operation in January 1993.

JAPC has 4 units - 2 at Tokai Mura, Ibaraki; 2 at Tsuruga, Fukui. General Electric of the UK produced the first Tokai unit, a gas cooled reactor rated 159 MWe. That unit started up in Nov. 65 and is permanently shutdown. Subsequently, General Electric of the US produced 2 BWRs - the 340 MWe Tsuruga 1 which started operation in Nov. 1969 and the 1080 MWe Tokai 2, which commenced operation in March 1978. The last JAPC unit, Tsuruga 2 is a Mitsubishi 4 loop PWR rated at 1115 MWe, which started up in June 1986.

Kansai Electric operates the 3 Mihama (Mihama-cho, Fukui) units, 4 Ohi (Ohi-cho, Fukui), and 4 Takahama (Takahama-cho, Fukui) units. The 11 units are PWRs designed by either Westinghouse or Mitsubishi. The original Mihama 1 (320 Mwe) was designed by Westinghouse. Mihama 2 (470 MWe) was a joint venture product of Westinghosue and Mitsubishi. Both are 2 loop reactors that commenced operation in Aug. 1970 and April 1972. Next came the Westinghouse 3 loop 780 MWe Takahama 1 unit in March 1974; then the Mitsubishi 3 loop 780 MWe Takahama 2 in Jan. 1975 and Mihama 3 in Feb. 1976. 2 1120 MWe 4 loop Westinghouse reactors next began operation at Ohi 1 and 2 in Dec. 1977 and Oct. 1978. Takahama 3 and 4, 830 MWe Mitsubishi 3 loop reactors started up in May and Nov. of 1984. Finally the Ohi 3 and 4 1127 MWe Mitsubishi units went on-line in June of 1991 and 1992.

Kyushu Electric operates 6 Mitsubishi PWRs; 4 at Genkai, Saga and 2 at Sendai, Kagoshima. Genkai 1 and 2 are 2 loop 529 MWe units which commenced operation in Feb. 1975 and June 1980. Genkai 3 and 4 are 4 loop 1127 MWe units which started up in June 1993 and Nov. 1996. Sendai 1 and 2 are 3 loop 846 MWe units which went on-line in September 1983 and April 1985.


Fugen ATR - Photo courtesy JNC	Monju FBR - Photo courtesy JNC

Both the Fugen ATR (Advanced Thermal Reactor) and Monju units are both located at Tsuruga, Fukui. Fugen is an 148 MWe heavy water LWR made by Hitachi that started up in July 1978. The 246 Mwe Monju unit is Japan's first fast breeder reactor, designed by Mitsubishi. Monju commenced operation in Feb. 1994.

Ikata - Photo courtesy Yonden

The Ikata Nuclear Power Plant is located on Shikoku island at Ikata-cho, Ehime, has two Mitisubishi 538 MWe Pressurized Water Reactor units with the 2 Reactor Coolant Loop design (similar to original Westinghouse design as Prairie Island, Kewaunee, and Point Beach plants) and one Mitsubishi Pressurized Water Reactor unit with the 3 Reactor Coolant Loop design (similar to the Westinghouse Surry, North Anna, and Robinson plants). Units 1 and 2 started up in Feb. 1977 and August 1981. Unit 3 is a 3 loop PWR rated at 846 MWe that started up in June 1994.

Tohoku Electric operates the 498 MWe Onagawa 1 and 796 MWe Onagawa 2. The 2 Toshiba BWR units are located at Onagawa, Miyagi. The units came on-line in Nov. 1983 and Dec. 1994.

Tokyo Electric operates 16 BWR units, ranging from 439 to 1315 MWe, at 3 large facilities in Ohkuma and Naraha, Fukushima and Kashiwazaki, Niigata.

Japan has few domestic natural energy resources and has selected nuclear power as the major source for the future. The country has had some spent fuel reprocessed in Europe and is developing its own reprocessing facility.