Scoop! Tokai Daini Nuclear Power Plant Loses Emergency Power! A red light for the Kishida administration’s “nuclear power promotion policy!

At around 10:30 a.m. on February 21, the Tokai No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant in Tokai-mura, Ibaraki Prefecture, experienced an emergency power failure, and as of 4:00 p.m., the external power supply had been secured, so the situation is not considered to be immediately dangerous.

Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) has notified the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) and Ibaraki Prefecture of the “emergency case. A number of sources revealed, “The emergency power supply suddenly ‘stood by.

The emergency power supply suddenly went into ‘standby state. We confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the pump motor and that the external power supply was secured, but the cause of the emergency power outage is still unknown. Since we do not know the cause, we have not yet decided what to do, but we are preparing to take necessary actions such as replacing the diesel generator or restoring the power supply.

Tokai Daini Nuclear Power Plant started commercial operation in 1978. It is one of the oldest nuclear power plants to have applied to the Nuclear Regulation Authority for a new standards review, and has been out of operation since the Great East Japan Earthquake. It was currently under construction in preparation for restarting operations after 2025 in accordance with the new regulations for safe operation.

As for the situation, the seawater pumps used to cool the diesel engines were stopped in an emergency and the emergency power supply was isolated. More than 20 people were on site to respond to the situation, and it seems that employees who had been on standby at home also rushed to the site” (METI career).

Kishida’s Administration Brakes the Brakes on Poorly Promoted Nuclear Power Plants

The “unforeseen situation” comes at a time when the Fumio Kishida administration has been steering a major course toward restarting nuclear power plants. Oil prices have continued to soar since the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine. This situation is a major blow to Prime Minister Kishida, who has drastically changed his energy policy to cover the rising cost of electricity due to international energy shortages. What will he do about nuclear power plants, which he has no control over? He will have no choice but to review his poorly implemented nuclear power policy by restarting nuclear power plants, switching to a policy of replacement, and even “abolishing the 40-year rule.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has decided to allow “operation of nuclear power plants for more than 60 years. While the safety and waste issues of nuclear power plants have been postponed, securing electricity has become an urgent issue that affects the lives and property of the people. Public opinion polls conducted by various companies have shown that there is a growing momentum toward the “unavoidable restart of nuclear power plants” as a transitional measure until the expansion of renewable energy sources, and this trend will have a significant impact. The “myth of nuclear safety,” as the politicians call it, has long been discredited.

A TEPCO official at the Tokai nuclear power plant said, “We are committed to ensuring the safety and stability of the power supply.

We will do our utmost to ensure the safe and stable supply of electricity.”

In addition, the Japan Nuclear Power Plant told “FRIDAY Digital” that

We are currently working hard to restore the plant. In addition to the main power supply, we have also taken care of the high-voltage power supply vehicles. We apologize for any concern this may cause.

The spokesperson responded, “We apologize for any concern this may cause.

If nuclear power is to be used, the policy must reflect the “voices of those on the ground” who are involved in the safe operation of nuclear power plants 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are working with their lives on the line. We will closely watch the Kishida administration’s decision on the nuclear power issue, on which the lives of the Japanese people depend.