Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has completed the manufacture of the first two dry casks (MSF-32P) for dual-use spent fuel transport and storage ordered by Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc. for the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant (Ikata-cho, Nishiuwa-gun, Ehime Prefecture), and delivered them to the plant on the 16th. The plant plans to open and begin operation of a dry storage facility on-site around July 2025, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has received an order for a total of 15 dry casks to be delivered for the initial storage. The remaining 13 casks are currently being manufactured.
The dry cask delivered this time has a diameter of 2.6m, a height of 5.2m, a total weight of approximately 120 tons, and is capable of storing 32 assemblies of spent fuel from the power station’s Units 1 and 2. Dry casks, which form the core of dry storage, are dedicated containers that can be used for both transportation and storage, and since it is required that spent fuel be stored for a certain period of time and then transported without being transferred to other transport containers, a high level of safety and reliability is required.
Our dry casks have undergone safety verification tests, such as a 9m inclined drop test on a full scale, and also reflect the results of long-term soundness tests of materials such as aluminum alloys and resins. As a result, they are designed to maintain four safety functions (containment, criticality prevention, shielding, and heat removal) for 60 years.
Furthermore, we have established a dedicated cask assembly factory with highly automated manufacturing and inspection, utilizing our know-how in nuclear equipment manufacturing. We have established a mass production and supply system for high-quality dry casks with short delivery times and excellent cost performance, and are working to quickly respond to the growing need for dry storage.
The need for utilizing nuclear power is increasing from the perspectives of carbon neutrality and energy security. Using the advanced technologies it has cultivated as a nuclear power plant manufacturer, MHI will continue to work toward the early realization of dry storage and further improving safety, thereby contributing to the continued safe and stable operation of nuclear power plants.
SOURCE: Mitsubishi
