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US Three Mile Island nuclear power plant ends operation to decommission over 60 years

2019-09-21T01:10:34.326Z


The three-mile island nuclear power plant in the US (Pennsylvania) ended operation on the 20th. Even after Unit 2 (pressurized water type) caused a core melting accident 40 years ago, Unit 1 (same unit) continued to operate, but was forced to close due to worsening profitability.


The three-mile island nuclear power plant in the US (Pennsylvania) ended operation on the 20th. Even after Unit 2 (pressurized water type) caused a core melting accident 40 years ago, Unit 1 (same unit) continued to operate, but was forced to close due to worsening profitability. In the future, it will be decommissioned over 60 years.

The first unit, which started commercial operation in 1974, had been allowed to operate until 2034, but its profitability deteriorated due to the spread of renewable energy and the decrease in natural gas prices. A major power company, Exelon, asked the state government for preferential treatment as a power source that does not emit greenhouse gases, but it did not come true. Brian Hanson, Senior Vice President, commented, “I am sorry that the state does not support the continued operation of this safe and reliable zero carbon power source.”

According to a plan submitted by Exelon to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Unit 1 will take out spent nuclear fuel from the core and then start decommissioning work. Is scheduled to end in 79 years. The cost of the first unit alone is said to be more than 1 billion dollars (about 100 billion yen).

Unit 2, which had an accident in 1979, had almost all the molten fuel taken out, but it is scheduled to be decommissioned after the operation of Unit 1 is stopped, and the building and cooling tower remain. First Energy, which owns Unit 2, started dismantling in 41 and ends in 53. (New York = Keisuke Katori)

<Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Accident> An accident occurred on March 28, 1979 due to the emergency stop of the reactor due to the stoppage of the water pump at Unit 2. As a result of human error and the cooling water that cools the reactor flowed out, the core was exposed and partially melted, and contaminated water containing radioactive material leaked into the building. According to the International Accident Assessment Scale (INES), Level 5 is the worst level, after Level 7 of the former Soviet Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi.

Source: asahi

All news articles on 2019-09-21

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