Areva announced that it has delivered filtered containment venting systems (FCVS) to unit 4 of Japan’s Hamaoka NPP in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The FCVS technology is designed to maintain the integrity of the reactor containment building and protect the environment, "by ensuring the confinement of radioactive materials in the event of a serious accident generating a rise in internal pressure", Areva said.
Chubu Electric Power Company, which owns and operates the boiling water reactor (BWR) unit chose the ‘FCVS Plus’ technology, which offers three stages of filters. "This device has met the requirements of the majority of safety authorities around the world. As part of the current review under way by the Japanese safety authority, this device is also expected to meet their requirements." Areva said. Japan’s BWR reactors are required to make more extensive upgrades than pressurised water reactors to meet the new post-Fukushima safety standards, including the installation of new filter systems.
Areva said it provided the FCVS technology and internal system components, while the project was conducted in cooperation with the Toshiba Corporation, "which played a vital role in licensing support". Toshiba supplied the filtered vessel, manufactured at the company’s Keihin Works facility, and system and piping engineering services for the onsite implementation, Areva said.
Areva said this was its 14th contract for FCVS in Japan. Chubu Electric has extended its target date for completing safety refitting at Hamaoka 4 from September 2015 to September 2016. All Hamaoka units are BWRs. Units 3-5 were shut down in May 2011 pending necessary upgrades Hamaoka 1 and -2 were permanently shut down in 2009.
