Japan to evaluate stress capacity of nuclear reactors

Japan will conduct stress tests on all its nuclear reactors.

The tests will be modelled on those announced recently by the European Union.

The reactors will be tested to evaluate their capacity to withstand the natural calamities like quakes, floods, extreme cold, extreme heat, snow, ice, storms, tornadoes, heavy rain and other extreme natural conditions.

The tests would also check the facility's ability to cope with aircraft crashes, explosions and fires.

The EU planned to start the tests with questionnaires to be checked by national regulators, followed by peer reviews among the 27 national authorities, 14 of which have nuclear power and 13 do not.

Japan is currently operating only 19 of the 54 nuclear reactors due to the earthquake and expects to shut down more reactors until it builds higher sea defences.