Kyushu Electric to decommission ageing Genkai nuclear reactor

Safety costs of the reactor were too high to bear.

Reuters reports that Japan's Kyushu Electric will decommission an ageing reactor at its nuclear plant, bringing the number of reactors scrapped to 17 since the Fukushima Daiichi plant meltdown in 2011.

The move comes as Japan’s return to nuclear power is slowly gathering pace, although the industry still faces public opposition, court challenges and unfavourable economics.

Kyushu Electric will scrap the No.2 reactor at the Genkai plant, about 930 km (580 miles) west of Tokyo.

The reactor, which has been shut since 2011, has a capacity of 559 megawatts and began operations in 1981, meaning it was approaching the end of its standard operating life of 40 years, barring extensions.

The decision took into account factors including a shortage of the space to build facilities to meet new safety standards, the capacity size and the remaining operation period, the company said in a statement.

Read the full report here.

Photo by Asahi Shimbun