Third reactor approved for restart by Japanese governor
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Tokyo (dpa) - A nuclear reactor in south-western Japan got the go-ahead to restart from the local governor Monday, the last major step towards firing up the third unit in the country under stricter regulations implemented after the 2011 atomic disaster.
Ehime Governor Tokihiro Nakamura conveyed his support for the restart of Reactor 3 at Ikata Nuclear Power Plant on Shikoku island, 750 kilometres south-west of Tokyo, despite lingering public fears of atomic energy.
In July, operator Shikoku Electric Power Co received safety clearance for the unit from the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
The operator could restart the reactor as early as next year, pending final safety checks.
Locals are concerned however that they might be left without an overland escape route in the event of a severe accident, as the plant is located at the base of a narrow peninsula called Sadamisaki that juts off the west coast of the island.
In August, Japan ended nearly two years without nuclear energy when Kyushu Electric Power Co restarted a reactor on the south-western island of Kyushu, and a second at the same plant two months later.
The country has since relied heavily on coal imports to fill the energy gap.
The rest of Japan's 48 reactors remain offline following the 2011 triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, caused by a magnitude-9 earthquake and resulting tsunami.
