Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is partnering with four Japanese companies to develop a new nuclear reactor, the SRZ-1200. The consortium includes Mitsubishi Heavy, Kansai Electric Power Co, Hokkaido Electric Power Co, Shikoku Electric Power Co and Kyushu Electric Power Co. The project is expected to be completed by mid-2030.
This announcement comes as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida intends to restart the country’s nuclear power plants.
Mitsubishi Heavy is working on a new nuclear reactor
Mitsubishi Heavy is working, with 4 other Japanese companies, on a new light water reactor: the SRZ-1200. This reactor has many safety features compared to conventional pressurized light water reactors. Thus, MHI wants to provide Japan with a stable energy supply.
The SRZ-1200 has a capacity of 1,200 MWe. It is designed based on Japanese regulatory safety standards. These have been reinforced following the Fukushima accident. The development of the SRZ-1200 will then guarantee safety and reliability.
Mitsubishi Heavy explains:
“[Son développement répondra aux exigences en matière de] natural disaster resistance and security against terrorism and unforeseen events.”
The safety mechanisms developed by MHI include advanced accumulator design and systems that effectively reduce the probability of radioactive release in the event of an accident.
In addition, with the SRZ-1200, MHI intends to improve operational flexibility. In addition, it will be possible to adapt the SRZ-1200 for hydrogen production.
