A desalination device that forms part of the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant's key water decontamination system halted for a number of hours Sunday in the latest glitch at the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501.TO) said late Sunday, Kyodo News reported.
The plant operator said it resumed desalinating decontaminated water to be recycled as coolant for troubled reactors with a backup device about seven and a half hours after the halt occurred around noon, while continuing to cool the reactors with water supplemented from a nearby dam.
While looking into the cause of the latest trouble, Tokyo Electric said it will also add piping for the system's cesium decontamination component made by Areva SA of France because the volume of flow has not reached the expected level.
The water treatment system, which also comprises a cesium-absorbing device developed by Kurion Inc. of the United States, is designed to remove radioactive materials from and recycle the highly contaminated water accumulating at the plant as a side effect of initial emergency operations to cool overheating reactors.
Kansai Electric Power Co. said, meanwhile, its supply capacity will decline by 290,000 kilowatts on Saturday to 29.85 million kw at the end of July and 29.14 million kw in August, due to a glitch at its supplier's power generation facility.
The margin of reserve against estimated maximum demand will fall to 4.9% at the end of July and 7.1% in August, against the levels of 8 to 10% needed for a stable electricity supply, the utility serving western Japan said.
