Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
The Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant (福島第一原子力発電所, Fukushima Dai-ichi ( pronunciation) Genshiryoku Hatsudensho?, Fukushima I NPP), also known as Fukushima Dai-ichi (dai-ichi means "number one"), is a disabled nuclear power plant located on a 3.5-square-kilometre (860-acre) site in the towns of Okuma and Futaba in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. First commissioned in 1971, the plant consists of six boiling water reactors (BWR). These light water reactors drove electrical generators with a combined power of 4.7 GWe, making Fukushima Daiichi one of the 15 largest nuclear power stations in the world. Fukushima I was the first nuclear plant to be designed, constructed and run in conjunction with General Electric, Boise, and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).
The plant suffered major damage from the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 and, as of December 2012, is not expected to reopen. The earthquake and tsunami disabled the reactor cooling systems, leading to releases of radioactivity and triggering a 30 km evacuation zone surrounding the plant. On April 20, 2011, the Japanese authorities declared the 20 km evacuation zone a no-go area which may only be entered under government supervision.
As of April 2012, Units 1-4 are no longer in operation. Units 2-4 shut down on April 19, 2012, while Unit 1 was the last of these four units to shut down on April 20 at midnight 00:00 Japan Standard Time.
The Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant, or Fukushima Dai-ni ("number two"), is located to the south and also run by TEPCO.
Read more about Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant: Power Plant Information, Warnings and Design Critique, Incidents and Accidents
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