A controversial nuclear reactor operated by Hokkaido Electric Power Co. resumed commercial operations on Aug. 17, becoming the first reactor to be restarted after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
A controversial nuclear reactor operated by Hokkaido Electric Power Co. resumed commercial operations on Aug. 17, becoming the first reactor to be restarted after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
The No. 3 reactor at the utility's Tomari nuclear power plant has been at the center of controversy as it has been operating at full capacity for months under "adjustment operation," the final stage of regular maintenance before a reactor resumes official operations.
Although the reactor was technically under routine maintenance, it has provided electricity just like other reactors online in the jurisdiction served by Hokkaido Electric.
Hokkaido Electric had postponed applying to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) for final clearance of checks amid local concerns expressed over the safety of nuclear plants after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
But with Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi endorsing the official restart in a news conference on Aug. 17, the NISA gave the green light to commercial operation of the reactor the same day.
It marks the first time a reactor that had been shut down for maintenance has resumed operations since the March 11 disaster.
With a certificate showing that maintenance has now been completed, the reactor will continue to provide electricity under commercial operations.
Hokkaido Electric had activated the reactor on March 7 to start its adjustment operation.
The adjustment operation period before final clearance from the NISA typically lasts about a month. The Tomari reactor, however, has been operating for more than five months under the maintenance mode.
The restart of the single reactor will not likely have a significant impact on the restarts of other reactors across the nation that have been offline due to regular maintenance because no other reactors are in an adjustment operation.
The central government will likely continue to face opposition in its bid to get local governments to agree to the restart of reactors, despite the introduction of a "stress test."
To assuage public concerns over the safety of nuclear reactors, the central government will decide on restarting reactors based on the results of safety checks relating to earthquakes under the new stress test.