The Shimane Nuclear Power Plant (島根原子力発電所, Shimane genshiryoku hatsudensho, Shimane NPP) is a nuclear power plant located in the town of Kashima-chou in the city of Matsue in the Shimane Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the Chūgoku Electric Power Company.

This plant was once said to be the closest nuclear power plant to a prefecture capital. However, on March 31, 2005, the area of Kashima-chou merged with Matsue (it was formerly in the Yatsuka District), making it exactly the same city as the prefecture capital.

New Scientist magazine has reported that, in June 2006, a previously unknown geological fault was identified close to the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant, but it is expected to be years before the plant is strengthened.[1]

The power plant covers an area of 1.92 square kilometres (470 acres).[2]

Reactors on site

Name Reactor type Commission date Power rating Comments
Shimane-1 BWR March 29, 1974 460 MW To be decommissioned
Shimane-2 BWR February 10, 1989 820 MW Reactivation approved and pending as of June 2022, with an intended resumption of operation by 2023.[3][4]
Shimane-3 ABWR Under construction 1373 MW Commissioning due in March 2012, but construction suspended in 2011.[5] METI approved the restart of construction in September 2012.[6]
Aerial view, image: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan

See also

References

  1. ^ Insight: Where not to build nuclear power stations
  2. ^ Chugoku Electric Power Company (Japanese). Shimane-3 Overview Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ "Japan to reactivate first Fukushima-type reactor after 2011 atomic disaster - La Prensa Latina Media". Retrieved 2022-06-09.
  4. ^ Johnston, Eric (2022-06-02). "Shimane OKs nuclear restart, but Hokkaido plant ruling casts doubt on resumption". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
  5. ^ "Nuclear Power in Japan". Archived from the original on 2012-02-20. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  6. ^ https://www.oecd-nea.org/ndd/workshops/pmnnb/presentations/docs/3.2.pdf [bare URL PDF]

External links