Plant Shutdown Damages Japan's Kyoto Hopes

The recent closure of Japan's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power facility could seriously put Japan behind its Kyoto Protocol targets with thermal plants being made to work harder for the power shortfall.

The Japanese Government, according to The Nikkei newspaper, says it is unsure exactly how long the plant will be closed for – with some estimates of up to a year - following damages sustained from the 6.8 Niigata-Chuetsu-Oki earthquake on July 16.

Japan has promised to cut emissions for Kyoto by 6% - returning to 1990 levels - by 2008 to 2012.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) recently released reports from internal inspections of the plant – the world's largest – saying it believed there was a delay in the measuring of radioactive levels in a suspected water source.

It also says that new lines of communication would need to be implemented following delayed reporting to the fire department due to telephone line congestion.

The power station's own inhouse fire team should also undergo special training to help them better prepare for any incident that could put the station at risk, the company says.

"We will immediately consider recurrence prevention measures and make every effort to secure safety of the station," the report says.

TEPCO raised concerns of a nuclear leak following the earthquake when fire lead to the shutdown of all of the plant's seven reactors that were running at the time of the quake.

Low levels of radiation were also leaked into the sea following a series of burst pipes caused by the fire.

Further investigations found that seismic measuring equipment recently installed in the plant had been reset following the initial quake to only record the measurements in some areas of the plant.

Meanwhile, the residents of the surrounding towns will be supplied with power from other power plants – both nuclear and thermal – at a time when summer demand is rising.

By Penny Jones