The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station of Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) disclosed June 22 its construction site of anti-tsunami measures to the media. The anti-tsunami works, which are in progress as scheduled, are expected to be completed in around June 2013. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is the only nuclear power station unaffected by the tsunami in March last year among the company’s three nuclear power stations. Of the station’s units 1 through 7, three units are being shut down and four are undergoing periodic inspection, so that no units are generating power now. If the utility can restart the four units undergoing periodic inspection, it will be able improve its balance of payments significantly.
The disclosed works are “tide walls” against tsunami and a “freshwater reservoir” for supplying cooling water to the spent fuel pools. Units 5-7 are aligned on the north side of the station site, where as units 1-4 on the south side. The tide walls for units 5-7, about 80 per cent complete, are almost in shape. The tide walls for units 1-4 are about 30 per cent complete, with the construction of levees in some blocks just started. The tide walls can prevent the ingress of a tsunami with a height of 15 meters, which far exceeds the maximum credible tsunami height of 3.3 meters. The freshwater reservoir, about 50 per cent complete, is expected to be completed in September.
