According to the nuclear plant operator and the nuclear regulatory agency, around 9 PM on Saturday, three drones were detected flying over the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant, located in Saga Prefecture in southwestern Japan, operated by Kyushu Electric Power Company. Kyushu Electric reported the incident to Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), suggesting that the event might impact the plant’s operations. The Nuclear Regulation Authority stated on Saturday that it had been informed of the incident by Kyushu Electric, the operator of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant, which has four reactors.
(Genkai Nuclear Power Plant in Genkai Town, Saga Prefecture, Japan, April 2024)
In principle, drones are prohibited from flying over and near nuclear power plants. An official from the regulatory agency described Saturday’s incident as “highly unusual.” The local government stated that there were no abnormal radiation levels around the plant following the incident, and no evacuation of residents was requested.
The decommissioning of reactors 1 and 2 at the plant is currently underway, while units 3 and 4 resumed operation in 2018. Following the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant caused by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Japan implemented stricter safety standards.
