FUKUI, May 12 (News On Japan) –
A crack was found in the cover surrounding the high-pressure turbine at Kansai Electric Power’s Mihama Nuclear Power Plant No. 3 reactor in Mihama, Fukui Prefecture, following a steam leak that occurred last week, the utility said.
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Workers confirmed on May 8th that steam was leaking to a height of around two to three meters above the high-pressure turbine at the reactor facility, prompting the plant to be manually shut down.
Subsequent investigations by Kansai Electric revealed a crack in the cover surrounding the turbine.
The crack measured approximately 8 centimeters wide and 1 centimeter long. An inspection of the surrounding material found that sections originally 20 millimeters thick had thinned to as little as 1 millimeter.
According to the utility, routine visual inspections conducted up to now had not detected signs of corrosion or other abnormalities. The component had not undergone replacement or repair since the reactor began operations in 1976.
Kansai Electric said the cause of the crack remains under investigation, and no timetable has been set for restarting the reactor.
Source: YOMIURI
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