apan Halts Mihama Nuclear Reactor After Steam Leak

The operator of a nuclear power plant in central Japan’s Fukui Prefecture said it shut down a reactor after discovering a steam leak near a high-pressure turbine, Kyodo News reported.

Kansai Electric Power Co said it remains unclear when operations at the No. 3 reactor of the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant will resume. (Photo: Alpsdake, Wikimedia Commons)

According to Kansai Electric Power Co., the steam did not contain radioactive material and posed no risk to the surrounding environment. The company said it remains unclear when operations at the No. 3 reactor of the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant will resume.

The leak was detected at around 4:10 a.m. local time, and workers manually shut down the reactor approximately 15 minutes later, according to reports from Mainichi Japan.

In 2021, the No. 3 reactor — which began operating in 1976 — became the first nuclear reactor in Japan authorized to operate beyond 40 years under post-Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster regulations.

Japanese rules generally cap reactor operations at 40 years, though extensions of up to 20 years are permitted with regulatory approval.

The two other aging reactors at the Mihama plant are currently undergoing decommissioning.