Another Data Error Found at Genkai Nuclear Plant

Fukuoka, July 26 (Jiji Press)--Kyushu Electric Power Co. <9508> has discovered an additional data input error in analyses of its Genkai nuclear power plant to check its earthquake resistance, the company said.
The input error was found in data on the plant's No. 4 reactor, which is now in operations. The discovery will not directly affect operations at the reactor, the company said.
Kyushu Electric made the announcement Monday after discovering similar errors for the No. 3 reactor at the same plant in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan.
The industry ministry's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency will not conduct stress tests on nuclear reactors until the credibility of the analysis results are confirmed, sources familiar with the matter said.
Similar data input errors could be discovered at other nuclear plant operators in Japan, people familiar with the situation said.
Such a development would lead to delays in efforts to restart halted nuclear reactors throughout Japan because stress tests are one of conditions for bringing them back online.
Over the problems with the No. 3 reactor data, the agency requested Kyushu Electric to redo the analyses and submit the results by the end of October.
Kyushu Electric officials hinted that a reanalysis of the No. 4 reactor is likely to finish even later.
Kyushu Electric said it found no similar error for the remaining reactors it owns--the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at Genkai and the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Sendai plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.
General contractor Obayashi Corp. <1802> conducted analyses for the Genkai plant's No. 3 and No. 4 reactors.