Report on Y2K Issues Related to Nuclear Power Plants
2000/1/1 11:02
Nuclear Power Safety Administration Division,
Agency of Natural Resources and Energy, MITI
As of 03:00 1 January 2000 when a confirmation was made of items outside of the parameters of the 13 important items necessary for safe and stable operation, it was confirmed that Shika Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 of Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Ltd. in Ishikawa Prefecture (BWR with a rated output of 540 MWe) had experienced an anomaly in the display of its Safety Parameter Display System (SPDS) since midnight.
Currently the investigation of the cause of this anomaly and the relation to the Y2K issue is underway.
We should note that under ordinary circumstances the SPDS is not used to monitor the operating status of nuclear power plants. In fact, it is a contingency system which plays a role only in the event that an emergency situation occurs, at which time it transmits a report of the situation at the nuclear power plant to the headquarters of the electric power company operating the plant and to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
Back to Index