As engineers in Japan work around the clock to bring reactors
at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant under control, they’ve drawn from the
expertise of the American company that designed them.
In a story in the Wall Street Journal Friday, General
Electric outlined its efforts to assist the six-reactor plant owned by Tokyo Electric
Power Co. that suffered severe damage following an earthquake and tsunami March
11. According to the Journal report, GE has created a command center with 70 engineers
and technical experts working on the crisis in Wilmington, N.C. The company
also has drawn on the knowledge of some 1,000 retired and currently employed
engineers for expertise on specific reactor designs and the modifications that
have been made to them in the 40 years since the plant first came online.
According to a Tepco emergency planning document, Fukushima
Daiichi’s unit 1 is a BWR-3, units 2 though 4 are BWR-4s, and unit 6 is a
BWR-5. All use the Mark I containment design, except for unit 6, which uses the
Mark II design.
The story said GE is conducting its efforts through GE-Hitachi,
which has been advising the U.S. and Japanese governments and dispatched experts
to a Japanese emergency response center.
At Tepco’s request, GE also plans to provide 10
truck-mounted gas turbines to help provide additional power at the site.