Kansai Electric Power Applies to Build Dry Cask Storage Facilities for Spent Fuel

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) announced on August 31 that it has submitted an application to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) seeking approval for the design and construction plans of dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel at its Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture. The company plans to begin construction in 2027 and aims to complete the facilities by 2029.

This application covers the first-phase construction at the Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants. KEPCO had previously planned to build a total of four dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel at three nuclear power plants within Fukui Prefecture, including the Mihama, Takahama, and Ohi nuclear power plants. Currently, the related project at the Ohi nuclear power plant and the second-phase construction at the Takahama nuclear power plant remain under review by Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Fukui Prefecture and relevant local governments approved the first-phase construction at the Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants on August 28. KEPCO subsequently submitted the design and construction plan application to the regulatory authority. If the application is approved, the company will proceed with subsequent work, including the manufacturing of dedicated metal containers for storing spent fuel.

Dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel are primarily used for the interim storage of spent fuel that has been cooled for a period in spent fuel pools. The relevant fuel assemblies will be sealed inside metal storage and transport casks, and cooling will be achieved through natural air convection, requiring no electrically driven cooling systems. These facilities are used to enhance the interim storage capacity for spent fuel and to provide conditions for subsequent transfer arrangements.