The Japanese company TEPCO, which operates several nuclear power plants, has developed an artificial intelligence system that should help speed up the process of restarting nuclear power plants in the country. This was reported by the Nikkei newspaper.
Japanese companies that plan to build new nuclear power plants, restart stopped reactors or upgrade equipment must undergo inspections and receive approval from local regulatory authorities. This requires the preparation of a huge amount of documentation.
For example, for the application to restart the seventh reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear power plant in the world, approximately 100 TEPCO specialists spent several months preparing approximately 70,000 pages of documentation.
The system developed by TEPCO and its partners streamlines this process. The system can also be made available to other major energy companies.
By the spring of 2011, Japan had 54 operating nuclear reactors, producing a third of its electricity. After the accident at Fukushima Daiichi, all of them were shut down. The country is currently partially restarting its nuclear power plants, introducing new, enhanced safety measures. Japan has fourteen reactors in operation, and the number is gradually increasing.
At the same time, Japan's nuclear industry is facing a labor shortage. According to Nikkei, approximately 70% of nuclear power companies will not be able to hire the necessary number of employees by 2025.