17 Aug (NucNet): A reactor unit at Hokkaido Electric Power Company’s three-unit Tomari nuclear plant in northern Japan was given the go-ahead to resume regular commercial operations today, making it the first reactor to be allowed to restart in Japan since the disaster at the Fukushima-Daiichi plant in March 2011.
Hokkaido governor Harumi Takahashi approved Hokkaido Electric’s request to resume regular operations at Tomari-3, which has been shut down since January 2011 for regular maintenance.
The maintenance was supposed to be completed in April, but was interrupted by a magnitude-9 earthquake that hit northeastern Japan in March. The utility then had to comply with new safety measures ordered by the government.
Tomari-3 is an 866-megawatt pressurised water reactor that began commercial operation in 2009.
Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) documents show that only 19 units out of 50 in Japan are in commercial operation.
In July 2011 JAIF warned that Japan’s economic growth could be jeopardised if nuclear units that are offline are not restarted soon.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Japan Releases 750-Page Report Into Fukushima-Daiichi Accident (News in Brief No. 134, 7 June 2011)
JAIF Chairman Warns On Economic Impact Of Shutdowns (News in Brief No. 153, 6 July 2011)
