Kyushu Electric Power has restarted the Unit No1 nuclear reactor at the Sendai facility to generate the first nuclear power since the Fukushima disaster in March 2011.
The pressurised water reactor, with an 890MW output, will start producing electricity on 14 August, and is expected to reach full capacity by next month.
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The 2011 disaster was caused by a tsunami and earthquake at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, prompting the country to shutdown all of its 48 nuclear energy facilities.
Activation of this reactor is in compliance with multiple new safety regulations that have been established in Japan since the disaster.
The accident sparked a national debate about nuclear power generation in the country, with the vast majority opposing the restarts.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) had confirmed the safety of the facility’s first reactor, located in the Kagoshima Prefecture in the south-west.
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By GlobalDataThe plant’s second reactor is likely to be restarted in October.
This decision is a result of the continued efforts by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who favours nuclear energy generation to boost the country’s power capacity and economy.
Importing fossil fuels to meet the energy demands has been affecting Japan’s finances.
Atomic power previously provided 30% of the country’s total energy requirements, before the Fukushima disaster occurred.
Image: The two-unit Sendai nuclear power plant owned by Kyushu Electric Power. Photo: courtesy of KEI /Wikipedia.
