Information Papers

Nuclear Power Plants and Earthquakes

(October 2008)

Design criteria

Nuclear facilities are designed so that earthquakes and other external events will not jeopardise the safety of the plant. In France for instance, nuclear plants are designed to withstand an earthquake twice as strong as the 1000-year event calculated for each site. It is estimated that, worldwide, 20% of nuclear reactors are operating in areas of significant seismic activity.

Because of the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes in Japan, particular attention is paid to seismic issues in the siting, design and construction of nuclear power plants. The seismic design of such plants is based on criteria far more stringent than those applying to non-nuclear facilities. Power reactors are also built on hard rock foundations (not sediments) to minimise seismic shaking.

Japanese nuclear power plants are designed to withstand two specified earthquake intensities, S1 and S2. The plants are fitted with seismic detectors. If these register ground motions of a set level (S1), systems will be activated to automatically bring the plant to an immediate safe shutdown.

The design basis earthquake ground motion or peak ground acceleration (PGA) S1 is defined as the largest earthquake which can reasonably be expected to occur at the site of a nuclear power plant, based on the known seismicity of the area. A power reactor could continue to operate safely during an S1 level earthquake, though in practice they are set to trip at lower levels. If it did shut down, a reactor would be expected to restart soon after an S1 event. The revised seismic regulations released in May 2007 increased the S1 figure to be equivalent to 6.7 on the logarithmic Richter scale - a factor of 1.5 (up from 6.5). PGA is measured in Galileo units - Gal (cm/sec2) or g - the force of gravity, one g being 980 Gal. The non-SI unit is used here.

Larger earthquake ground motions (PGAs) in the region, considering the tectonic structures and other factors, must also be taken into account, although their probability is very low. The largest conceivable such ground motion is the upper limit design basis earthquake ground motion (PGA) S2, generally assuming a magnitude 6.5 earhtquake directly under the reactor. The plant's safety systems would be effective during an S2 level earthquake to ensure safe shutdown without release of radioactivity, though extensive inspection would be required before restart.

After the magnitide 7.2 Kobe earthquake in 1995 a panel was set up to review the safety of nuclear facilities in japan and the design guidelines for their construction. The Japanese Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) then approved the panel's report. After recalculating the seismic design criteria required for a nuclear power plant to survive near the epicentre of a large earthquake it concluded that under current guidelines such a plant could survive a quake of 7.75 on the Richter scale.

Other Japanese nuclear plants such as Hamaoka near Tokai are in regions where earthquakes of up to Richter 8.5 may be expected, and are designed accordingly.

In Japan the Rokkasho reprocessing plant and associated facilities are built on stable rock and is designed to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.25 on the Richter scale.

Following a magnitude 7.3 earthquake in 2000 in an area where no geological fault was known, Japan's NSC ordered a revision of the country's 1978 seismic guidelines. This reported in 2006 and resulted in NSC and the Nuclear & Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) calling for reactor owners with NISA to undertake plant-specific reviews of seismic safety which are expected to be complete in 2008. Meanwhile revised seismic guidelines were issued in May 2007. When these reviews are complete the national seismic safety guidelines will again be revised.

In March 2008 Tepco upgraded its estimates of likely PGA for Fukushima to 600 Gals (0.61g), and other operators have adopted the same figure.  In October 2008 Tepco accepted 1000 Gal (1.02g) PGA as the new S1 design basis for Kashiwazaki Kariwa, following the 2007 earthquake there.

South Korea's new APR-1400 reactor is designed to withstand 0.3g seismic force.

Japan 1995 - Kobe

Newspaper coverage of the magnitide 7.2 Kobe earthquake which devastated Kobe and the surrounding region on 17 January 1995 raised concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants in the affected area.

In fact none of the power reactors within 200 km of the earthquake epicentre sustained any damage and those running at the time continued to operate at capacity. Takahama and Ohi are located approximately 130 km from the epicentre of the earthquake, on the Pacific Ocean side of the Island of Honshu. Mihama is approximately 180 km away. The research reactors in the region, in Osaka and Kyoto, were also reported to be unaffected by the earthquake.

Taiwan 1999 - Chichi

The shallow magnitude 7.6 earthquake in central Taiwan on 21 September 1999 killed thousands of people. It caused three reactors at Chinshan and Kuosheng in the north of the island to shut down automatically. They were cleared to restart two days later. A fourth reactor there was being refuelled. The two reactors at Maanshan in the south continued operating, but reduced power later due to damage to distribution facilities. A major concern following the earthquake was how quickly power could be restored to industry.

Japan 2005 - Miyagi 

On 16 August 2005 Tohuku's three Onagawa reactors shut down automatically when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit northeast Honshu. They were set to trip at 0.20g, against S1 design basis of 0.25g (which was reached) and S2 PGA of 0.35-40g. No damage occurred in any major part of the plant.

Onagawa-2 restarted in January 2006 after comprehensive checks and confirming that an S2 figure of 0.58g would be safe for that unit (equivalent to Richter 8.2). Geotechnical analysis and safety evaluation proceeded under NISA, which approved a report from the company. Unit 3 restarted in March 2006, and the smaller unit 1 restarted in May 2007.

Japan 2007 - Niigataken Chuetsu-Oki

On 16 July 2007 the magnitude 6.8 Niigata Chuetsu-Oki earthquake occurred with epicentre only 16 km from Tepco's Kashiwazaki Kariwa 7965 MWe nuclear power plant. Local geological factors contributed to a magnification of the seismic intensity at the plant.  The plant's seismometers measured PGA of 0.27 to 0.68g (a later report said 829 Gal/0.846g for unit 1), the S1 design bases for different units being 0.17 to 0.27g and the S2 figure about 0.45g. The peak ground acceleration thus exceeded the S1 design values in all units - hence the need to shut down, and the S2 values in units 1, 2 and 4. Four reactors shut down automatically at the pre-set level of 0.12g, another three were not operating at the time.  All the functions of shutdown and cooling worked as designed.

While there were many incidents on site due to the earthquake, none threatened safety and the main reactor and turbine units were structurally unaffected.  Analysis of primary cooling water confirmed that there was no damage to the fuel in reactor cores.  However, the plant will remain closed until full investigation is complete and safety confirmed, probably mid 2008.  It appears that the four older units may have been more vulnerable than units 5-7 which are located 1.5 km further away.
The Ministry of Economy Trade & Industry (METI) then set up a 20-member Chuetsu Investigation and Countermeasures Committee to investigate the specific impact of this earthquake on the power station, and in the light of this to identify what government and utilities must address to ensure nuclear plant safety.  It acknowledged that the government was responsible for approving construction of the first Kashiwazaki Kariwa units in the 1970s very close to what is now perceived to be a geological fault line.  NISA invited the  International Atomic Energy Agency to join it, the Nuclear Safety Commission and Tepco in reviewing the situation.  A report was presented to the IAEA Senior Regulators' Meeting in September 2007, and a further IAEA visit was made early in 2008.
NISA released its assessment of the safety significance of earthquake damage in November.  The worst of the damage rated zero on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), having no safety significance.  Other damage was deemed not relevant to nuclear safety.  The seven main reactor units themselves were still being checked, but so far appeared undamaged.  In May 2008 Tepco adopted a new standard of 2280 Gal (2.33g) maximum design basis seismic motion for Kashiwazaki Kariwa units 1-4, over five times the previous S2 figure, and 1156 Gal (1.18g) for units 5-7, in the light of local geological factors.  This standard will be reviewed by NISA and NSC.  Meanwhile construction works will be undertaken to bring all units up to be able to withstand a quake producing PGA of 1000 Gal (1.02g).

Losses of some JPY 155 billion (US$ 1.44 billion) were projected by Tepco for FY2007 (to 31/3/08) due to the prolonged closure of the plant.  While no damage to them has been found, detailed checks continue.  Major civil engineering works are also required before the reactors resume operation. Overall, the FY2007 impact of the earthquake is projected to be JPY 603.5 billion ($5.62 billion), three quarters of that being increased fuel costs to replace the 8000 MWe of lost capacity.

Other experience

Earthquakes have previously occurred in the vicinity of a number of Japanese and other power reactors without adverse effect.

In two decades to 2004, no Japanese reactor had been tripped by the seismic detectors. In those cases where the plant automatically shutdown ("tripped") as a safety precaution, it was because of the impact of the earthquake on the operating characteristics of the plant.

In November 1993, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake in northeast Honshu produced a ground acceleration of 0.121g at Tohuku's Onagawa-1 power reactor (497 MWe, BWR), located 30 km from the epicentre. The design conditions for the S1 and S2 events at the site are 0.25g and 0.375g respectively and the reactor was set to trip at a measured peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 0.20g. In fact it tripped at a lower level due to variations in the neutron flux outside the set parameters.

In May 2003 a magnitude 7.1 earthquake further from the same Onagawa plant produced ground acceleration of 0.225g which tripped unit 3 (units 1 & 2 were not operating).

In October 2004 a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Niigata Prefecture 250 km north of Tokyo had no effect on the nearby Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear plant, but a magnitude 5.2 quake there two weeks later caused one of the reactors - unit 7 -to trip.

In March 2005 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in northern Kyushu did not affect the nearby Genkai and Sendai nuclear plants, nor Shimane and Ikata.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake off the coast of Hokkaido in July 1993, had no effect on nuclear facilities. Tomari 1 and 2 reactors (550 MWe, PWRs), located 95 km from the epicentre, continued normal operation.

In December 1994, an earthquake which struck northern Japan and registered 7.5 on the Richter Scale, caused no damage to the 11 boiling water reactors or the nuclear fuel facilities in the vicinity. All operated normally.

Reactors of both western and Soviet design have been subjected to major seismic activity in North America and Europe without damage. California's power reactors, San Onofre 2 and 3 (1,070 and 1,080 MWe, PWRs) and Diablo Canyon 1 and 2 (1,073 MWe and 1,087 MWe, PWRs) continued to operate normally during the 6.6 magnitude earthquake in January 1994. San Onofre, the closer station, was about 112 km from the epicentre.

In December 1988, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake, resulting in the deaths of at least 25,000 people, occurred in northwestern Armenia. It was felt at the two-unit Armenian nuclear power station located approximately 75 km south of the epicentre, but both Soviet-designed PWRs operated normally and no damage was reported. This was the first Russian nuclear power plant specifically adapted for seismic areas, and it started operating in 1976.

In May 2008 a magnitude 7.9 earthquake affected southwestern Sichuan province in central China.  The main nuclear facilities affected were military ones, apparently without any radioactive releases.  About 250 km from the epicentre the Yibin fuel fabrication plant which produces both power reactor and research reactor fuel assemblies was undamaged.  China's power reactors were all at least 900 km from the epicentre.

Tsunamis

Large undersea earthquakes often cause tsunamis - pressure waves which travel very rapidly across oceans and become massive waves over ten metres high when they reach shallow water, then washing well inland. The December 2004 tsunamis following a magnitude 9 earthquake in Indonesia reached the west coast of India and affected the Kalpakkam nuclear power plant near Madras/Chennai. When very abnormal water levels were detected in the cooling water intake, the plant shut down automatically. It was restarted six days later.

Even for a nuclear plant situated very close to sea level, the robust sealed containment structure around the reactor itself would prevent any damage to the nuclear part from a tsunami, though other parts of the plant might be damaged. No radiological hazard would be likely.

Sources:
paper originally prepared by Nuclear Services Section, External Affairs, ANSTO;
JAIF

Tepco