Japan's Tohoku Electric aims to restart Onagawa No.2 reactor in September

Tohoku Electric Power, Incorporated

19/02/2024 05:06

TOKYO, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Japan's Tohoku Electric Power
 9506.T  said on Monday it plans to restart reactor No. 2 at its
Onagawa nuclear station around September after additional safety
construction works delayed the process.
    Tohoku's Onawaga plant was closest among Japan's nuclear
stations to the epicentre of the magnitude-9 quake in March
2011. 
    The company received a de facto regulatory approval to
restart the No.2 reactor in 2020, by gaining a modification
approval, but has seen a delay in the completion of safety
constructions. 
    On Monday, the company said it was working to secure
materials, equipment and workers for the safety construction
works and was now aiming to restart the reactor around
September. It was previously set for May. 
    Making a gradual comeback after the 2011 Fukushima disaster,
nuclear power is key to Japan's efforts to decarbonise its
economy and cut import costs of fossil fuels.
    Nuclear energy has contributed to a reduction in Japan's
imports of liquefied natural gas to its lowest in 14 years in
2023. 
    

 (Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Eileen Soreng)
 ((ekaterina.golubkova@thomsonreuters.com;))