Press Release

Press Release

Completion of the transportation of new fuel for Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station Unit 4

October 14, 2020
Chubu Electric Power Co.,Inc.

Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. is pleased to announce the completion of the transportation of new fuel for Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station Unit 4 (BWR with the rated power output of 1.137 million kW).

1 Transportation date

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

2 Transportation section

From the site of Global Nuclear Fuel Japan (Yokosuka, Kanagawa) to the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station

3 Transportation volume

144 new fuel assemblies (uranium fuel) (9x9 fuel assemblies, Type A)
(72 transportation containers)

4 Transportation method

Ground transportation (8 trucks)

Attachment

Attachment1

Reference

Reasons for transportation

Global Nuclear Fuel Japan, which manufactures and stores new fuel for Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station Units 4 and 5, requested early transportation of new fuel for reasons including smooth updating of the company's plant to comply with the New Regulatory Requirements. The latest transportation of new fuel to Unit 4 was carried out in response.

9×9 fuel assemblies

9×9 fuel assemblies are available in Type A and Type B, designed and manufactured by different companies. They have different design and shape but have equivalent fuel performance.

The table below shows the specifications of a Type A fuel assembly, transported this time (for Unit 4):

Header

9×9 fuel assembly (Type A)

Fuel rod array

9 rows 9 columns

Number of fuel rods

74

Maximum burnup
(amount of heat generated per ton of uranium)

55GWd/t

Average enrichment
(ratio of uranium 235 in total uranium weight of the fuel assembly)

Approx. 3.8wt%

Number of water rods (Note 1)

2 (tubes)
(equivalent to 7 fuel rods)

(Note 1) Empty tubes placed alongside fuel rods in the center of a fuel assembly. Water is passed through these tubes to optimize output within a fuel assembly and affix the axial direction of the fuel assembly's support grid (spacer).

Overview of transportation containers used in the latest transportation

Type (and number of containers used in the transportation)

RAJ-II Type transportation container (72)

Owner of the transportation containers

Global Nuclear Fuel Japan

Material

Stainless steel

Weight of a transportation container (Note 2)

Approx. 930kg

Full length

Approx. 507cm

Full width

Approx. 73cm

Height

Approx. 74cm

(Note 2) Weight: Not containing fuel assemblies

The transportation container is designed to withstand tough conditions stipulated in government's technical standards, e.g. being dropped from the height of 9 meters and left in the temperature of 800°C for 30 minutes.

Past transportation of new fuel

A total of 14,941 new fuel assemblies for Hamaoka Unit 1- Unit 5 have been transported in 103 trips, including those in the latest transportation.

(Breakdown)

Unit

Number of transportation trips (times)

Number of fuel assemblies transported (assemblies)

Unit1

28

2,390

Unit2

29

3,659

Unit3

26

4,208

Unit4

18(Note3)

3,244(Note3)

Unit5

8

1,584

Total

109(104)(Note4)

15,085

(Note 3) Including the transportation of MOX fuel (once, 28 assemblies)

(Note 4) The total number of times fuel was transported to the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station comes to 104 as some transportation operations were for multiple units, i.e. Units 1 and 2, Units 1 and 3, Units 1 and 4 (twice) and Units 2 and 5.

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