Japan approves restart of Sendai reactors

• 10 years ago (2014-11-07)
• Junior Isles

Asia 892 Nuclear 659

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Two reactors at Japan’s Sendai nuclear plant are due to become the first to be restarted in the country since the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi facility, after regional authorities approved the restart of the plant owned by Kyushu Electric Power Co.

However, the Sendai plant is unlikely to reopen until next year, as the utility still needs to pass operational safety checks.

In a vote on Friday 38 out of 47 of the Kagoshima’s prefectural assembly backed the restarting of the reactors.

The move represents a victory for the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which has defended the importance of nuclear power for resource-starved Japan and pushed to restart its fleet of 48 offline reactors.

The two-reactor Sendai plant, located 1000 km (600 miles) southwest of Tokyo in Kagoshima prefecture, won an important endorsement for the restart from the local township last month.

“I have decided that it is unavoidable to restart the No. 1 and No. 2 Sendai nuclear reactors,” Governor Yuichiro Ito told reporters.

“I have said that assuring safety is a prerequisite (for restart) and that the government must ensure safety and publicly explain it thoroughly to residents.”

The two 890 MWe pressurized water reactors at Sendai were shut down for inspections in May and September 2011, respectively.