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Keyword：Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3
Japan's Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 Receives Preliminary Approval for Operation Plan Beyond 50 Years
On August 25, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) gave preliminary approval to Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) for the long-term facility management plan for Unit 3 of the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant. Located in Mihama Town, Fukui Prefecture, the unit will mark its 50th anniversary of commercial operation on December 1. In May of this year, the metal top cover of the high-pressure turbine at Mihama Unit 3 suffered damage, resulting in steam leakage. At the NRA meeting held that day, KEPCO explained that the cause of the incident was believed to be thinning of the inner wall of the top cover due to steam flow. The company stated that this phenomenon falls under previously anticipated aging and degradation management for turbine equipment, and that the existing plan already includes corresponding management measures. Visual inspection and other examination methods were also deemed applicable, thus no revision to the long-term facility management plan was required.
2026-08-26
Japan's regulator says steam leak at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 was "avoidable"
On August 19, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) released the results of its nuclear regulatory inspections for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, determining that the steam leak incident at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, operated by Kansai Electric Power Co., in May this year was "foreseeable within a reasonable range" and that the associated losses "could have been avoided." The incident occurred in the high-pressure turbine area of Mihama Unit 3. A small hole approximately 8 centimeters long and 1 centimeter wide appeared in the metal cover atop the high-pressure turbine casing, causing a steam leak that forced a manual reactor shutdown. In its assessment, the NRA concluded that the event was foreseeable and could have been prevented through appropriate management or maintenance measures. However, since no pipe rupture or fire occurred between the onset of the steam leak and the reactor shutdown, the NRA rated the significance and severity of the incident at the lowest of four levels.
2026-08-20