Fukushima Daiichi Development and Operation Prior to Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract

The Fukushima Daiichi site was one of two nuclear power plant sites in the Japanese prefecture of Fukushima. It housed six reactors, all of which were GE designed BWRs. Several factors associated with the building of the Fukushima Daiichi plant contributed to its susceptibility to damage during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. First, to decrease long-term operating costs, the location where the reactors would sit was leveled from 35 m above sea level to 10 m. Second, TEPCO did not modify GE’s generic design plans to account for Fukushima’s actual location. Thus, they placed the plant’s emergency diesel generators in the basement of the turbine building, even though the plant was already very close to the water and low lying. The inability to remove decay heat after the disaster, and the lack of an ultimate heat sink led to the failure of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.