Two more of Japan's idled nuclear reactors obtained safety clearance from regulator, giving another boost to the government's planned resumption of atomic power generation following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns.
With the Nuclear Regulation Authority's approval of enhanced safety measures against possible earthquake and tsunami hazards as well as other severe accidents, the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama complex, located on the Sea of Japan coast in Fukui Prefecture, cleared a key hurdle toward resumption, Japan's News Agency (Kyodo) reported.
Although the majority of the public in Japan remains opposed to the restart, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is looking to resume operation of reactors that clear the regulator's screening based on the country's new, tighter regulations, saying it is necessary for economic growth.
Among a total of 48 commercial reactors that were gradually taken offline after the Fukushima nuclear crisis, only two other reactors, owned by Kyushu Electric Power Co., have obtained safety clearance under the new regulations so far.
During a meeting Thursday morning, Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the regulatory body, called for Kansai Electric's continued efforts to enhance safety of the plant.
The Takahama reactors, however, are not expected to go back online before summer, as the operator still needs to complete other procedures, such as submitting a construction plan, undergoing on-site operational checks and obtaining local approval.
The restart remains uncertain also because some neighboring municipalities within a 30-kilometer radius of the plant have demanded a greater say in deciding whether to allow it, claiming they could also be severely affected in the event of a severe accident.
In September, a pair of reactors at Kyushu Electric's Sendai plant in southwestern Japan became the first to meet the stricter safety requirements introduced following the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the worst since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
But the Sendai plant, seen as the closest to resumption, still remains offline as the operator is behind schedule in completing necessary procedures.
Power companies are desperate to bring their idled nuclear reactors back online amid an increase in fossil-fuel costs for thermal power generation, which has covered the output shortfall in the absence of atomic power.
Kansai Electric, which was one of the most nuclear-reliant utilities in Japan before the Fukushima accident, is expected to post a fourth straight year of losses in the current business year through March. The utility sought government permission last year for raising its electricity bills from April, after it last raised household bills in May 2013.