An idled reactor operated by Shikoku Electric Power Co. moved closer to restarting July 15 after the Nuclear Regulation Authority gave its blessing to safety measures implemented by the utility.
An idled reactor operated by Shikoku Electric Power Co. moved closer to restarting July 15 after the Nuclear Regulation Authority gave its blessing to safety measures implemented by the utility.
Although it has cleared a key hurdle in line with stricter safety standards introduced in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Shikoku Electric Power will still have to pass equipment screening for its No. 3 reactor at the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture and gain the consent of local government leaders.
Operations could resume as early as this coming winter.
This marks the third time the NRA has given its approval to new safety measures at nuclear plants. The other instances involved the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture operated by Kyushu Electric Power Co. and the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture operated by Kansai Electric Power Co.
The NRA compiled a draft report on its safety screening at the Ikata reactor in May and received 3,464 public comments that led to revisions in the wording of the report.
The No. 3 reactor uses plutonium-thermal power generation, in which mixed-oxide fuel consisting of plutonium and uranium is used.
One of the largest fault lines in Japan passes close by the plant site. The NRA called on Shikoku Electric Power to raise its estimated intensity of a possible earthquake striking the area during the safety screening because of the proximity of the fault line.
That led, in turn, to the need for a greater number of facilities on the plant site to deal with accidents as well as anti-quake measures for the piping used in the reactor.
The work to implement such measures is expected to take until this autumn.
The NRA will now screen the detailed design of equipment as well as operating procedures.
Neither Ehime Governor Tokihiro Nakamura nor Ikata Mayor Kazuhiko Yamashita have come out with a clear stance on a resumption of operations at the No. 3 reactor.