26 Sep (NucNet): The Hiroshima High Court yesterday accepted an appeal by Shikoku Electric Power Company allowing it to restart the Ikata-3 nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture in southern japan, saying worries over a volcanic eruption damaging the plant are groundless.
The decision is a reversal of the court’s earlier provisional injunction that demanded the utility halt the unit until the end of this month, citing safety risks associated with potential volcanic activity in a nearby prefecture.
The temporary suspension order was issued in December 2017 following a request from a local opposition group. It was the first case in which a high court had prohibited operations at a nuclear plant since the 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident led to a nationwide shutdown of all nuclear plants pending safety inspections.
Following the court’s decision, Shikoku Electric said it will restart the 846-MW pressurised water reactor unit on 27 October. The unit has been offline for maintenance since October last year.
