Kyushu Electric Power has started operations of the second reactor at the Sendai nuclear power station in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, marking a step ahead in reviving the nuclear power industry following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
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The move comes about two months after Sendai restarted its reactor number 1, the first one under the post-Fukushima rules, which the current government considers to be “the world’s toughest”.
1 unit at the Sendai plant in August after approval from the country’s atomic regular following two years of reviews and equipment checks.
After the natural disaster and tsunami caused a reactor meltdown, Japan launched an extensive effort to decontaminate the area surrounding the power plant and make sure food products with radioactive material exceeding the country’s strict safety levels do not reach market shelves.
Kyushu Electric Power plans to commence power generation of the second reactor on 21 October, following which commercial operations will start from around mid-November.
The Sendai Nuclear Power Plant is now the only nuclear power plant operating in Japan.
About 100 protestors opposing the restart gathered outside of the Sendai nuclear power plant, chanting slogans.
“Japan’s nuclear policy will end should local residents be forced to evacuate in a grave accident”.
“We will continue to cooperate with the central government’s inspection procedures and proceed with operational procedures at the plant by putting utmost priority on securing its safety”, Michiaki Uriu, the president of Kyushu Electric Power said in a statement. However, it requires pre-start-up inspections before their operation can resume.
Anti-nuclear protesters, however, are not happy about the decision. Before the disaster, nuclear reactors provided nearly 30 percent of Japan’s power needs.
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Opinion polls have consistently shown the majority of the public oppose the restart of reactors, even as electricity bills surged following the switch to expensive fossil fuels.
