Tokyo – The operator of Japan’s leaking nuclear plant says power lines have been hooked up to all six reactor units, though more work is needed before electricity can run through them.
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The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, announced the hookup Tuesday but cautioned that workers must check pumps, motors and other equipment before the electricity is turned on.
Reconnecting the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex to the electrical grid is a significant step in getting control of the overheated reactors and storage pools for spent fuels. But it is likely to be days if not longer before the cooling systems can be powered up, since damaged equipment needs to be replaced and any volatile gas must be vented to avoid an explosion.
Kol haKavod to the heroes, some of which might suffer long term health issues or worse.
Well Mr Kaufman, whats your opinion on this, total waste of money?! At least thats the way you made it sound in the begining of the crisis!
I’m concerned that U.S. nuclear regulatory officials, seeking to cover their xxxx’s, used incendiary rhetoric that contributed to the panic in Japan and played on the fears of Americans that has already been stoked by the anti-nuclear zealots. Clearly the Japanese screwed up big time, but our leaders made it worse.
A couple of clarifications:
1. When I said that a light water reactor cannot explode I was referring to the nuclear core. a reactor cannot be an A-bomb. Hydrogen gas can be generated by the heat of decay and obviously hydrogen can build up and explosive mixture.
2. I would like to see a full report of the incident. I have heard that the Japanese reactors did not have passive emergency core cooling systems installed and that their emergency backup power system had not been tested. Apparently the earthquake and tzunami damaged the electric grid to the effect that the plant did not have power for it’s reactor coolant pumps. I don’t understand how this happened as I would expect that, like all U.S. sites, the plant should have had sufficient emergency back up diesel generators on site to bring the reactor to a cold shutdown condition which takes about three days.
3)The plant personnel seems to have done a pretty good job of improvising and will probably be able to save at least two of the three reactors and restore them to operation. The third reactor is touch and go right now but they may be able to save that one too.