Fukushima Daiichi NPS Prompt Report 2013

TOKYO--December 20, 2013--The two reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station that largely escaped damage from the March 2011 tsunami that crippled the other four will be voluntarily shut down and converted into testing and training facilities, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. announced.

Units 5 and 6, which sit some distance further back from the shore than the other four reactors, never totally lost emergency cooling power in the aftermath of the tsunami and thus escaped the damage that affected the other four units. They have been in "cold shutdown" but are largely intact and could have been restarted to generate electrical power.

However, TEPCO has instead decided to turn the two generating units and their reactors into full-size testing and training facilities that will enhance the utility's ability to test methods and train workers in the decontamination and decommissioning work currently underway at the other four Fukushima Daiichi units.

The decision was praised by the chairman of TEPCO's international advisory committee, Dr. Dale Klein, former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission: "This wise decision demonstrates a commitment to the future and to the culture of safety that TEPCO has been building since the accident. Even though the two units could have been brought back online, I believe the use of Units 5 and 6 as essentially a full-size mock up facility is the right thing to do. It will significantly improve the safety and effectiveness of the recovery process at Fukushima, and will likely also provide knowledge and experience that will be useful elsewhere, both inside and outside Japan."

Also commenting on the decision was TEPCO President Naomi Hirose: "We believe that this use of Units 5 and 6 is their best and highest use given the paramount importance of a safe and effective recovery effort at Fukushima Daiichi. It respects the wishes of the community, and underscores our commitment to a safe future at Fukushima Daiichi and everywhere we operate."

To refer to the facility overview etc., please go to
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1233020_5130.html

TEPCO, Inc. is a provider of electricity to the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo and Yokohama. The company is headquartered in Tokyo. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station was struck by a tsunami after an earthquake that occurred in March 2011. For more information, please go to http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/index-e.html.