Japan restarts first nuclear reactor since Fukushima disaster
A protester shouts slogans during an anti-nuclear rally in front of Prime Minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Tuesday. Pic: AP.
A power plant operator in southern Japan has restarted a reactor, the first to begin operating under new safety requirements following the Fukushima disaster.
Kyushu Electric Power Co. said Tuesday it had restarted the No. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant as planned. The restart marks Japan’s return to nuclear energy four-and-half-years after the 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan following an earthquake and tsunami.
The disaster displaced more than 100,000 people due to radioactive contamination in the area and spurred a national debate over this resource-scarce country’s reliance on nuclear power.
The Fukushima disaster displaced more than 100,000 . Pic: AP.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority affirmed the safety of the Sendai reactor and another one at the plant last September under stricter safety rules imposed after the 2011 accident.
The return to nuclear power has met with stiff opposition in Japan as authorities still struggle to get the situation at the damaged Fukushima plant under control.
About 2,000 people protested outside the Sendai plant on Sunday, and there were reports that hundreds of protesters had returned for a sit-in Tuesday morning.
Some anti-nuclear activists have raised concerns about evacuation plans for the nine towns and cities situated withing 30 kilometers of the plant.
A NHK News survey showed that “six of the nine municipalities have acknowledged problems including traffic jams that might occur during evacuations”.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Pic: AP.
Japanese Prime Minister says the restarting of the reactor will provide an essential boost to the nation’s economy, which has been crippled by expensive gas and oil imports. Japan has no fossil fuel resources to speak of and green energy projects have failed to make up the shortfall.
It has been a tough sell for Abe whose approval rating is at an all-time low. Protesters also rallied outside his official residence in Tokyo Tuesday morning.
Additional reporting from Associated Press
