Takahama nuclear power plant in central Fukui prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast
Japan’s nuclear watchdog has approved restarting two more atomic reactors amid ongoing cleanup efforts of its damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Two units at Takahama nuclear power plant in central Fukui prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast has passed toughened safety standards since the disaster at Fukushima in 2011, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said.
The restarts will commence after public consultation is held and local authorities give their approval sometime after spring next year, the Kyodo News agency reported.
The draft approval came after two reactors at the Sendai nuclear plant on the southern island of Kyushu passed the new safety standards in September. The reactors are to be restarted next year.
Public sentiment over nuclear energy in Japan has been badly scarred following the nation’s worst nuclear accident at Fukushima in 2011, when multiple reactors went into meltdown after their cooling systems were swamped by a tsunami.
New polls showed that about half of voters are against restarts, with 30-40 percent in favor.
The NRA’s approval of the new site comes after Japan’s ruling coalition won majority vote in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
Experts say Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to use his new four-year mandate to push for nuclear power stations to restart.