Annual report on operational management of nuclear power stations, 1979-1980

This report was compiled by the Agency of Natural Resoures and Energy. The commercial nuclear power stations in Japan started the operation in 1966 for the first time, and as of the end of March, 1981, 22 plants with more than 15.5 million kW capacity were in operation. Nuclear power generation is regarded as the top-rated substitute energy for petroleum, and the target of its development in 1990 is about 52 million kW. The government and the people are exerting utmost efforts to attain the target. The result of the rate of operation of nuclear power stations reached 60.8% in 1980, but it is important to maintain the good, stable state of operation by perfecting the operational management hereafter in order to establish the position of LWRs. At present, the operational management officers of the government stay in nationwide power stations, and supervise the state of operations, thus the system of operational management was strengthened after the Three Mile Island accident in the U.S., and the improvement in the rate of operation is expected. A table shows the nuclear power stations in operation and under construction. The state of operations of individual nuclear power plants in 1979 and 1980, the accidents and failures occurred in nuclear power plants from 1966 to 1980, the minor troubles, the conditions in the regular inspections of individual nuclear power plants, radioactive waste management and the radiation exposure of workers are reported. (Kako, I.)