Japan Restarts First Nuclear Plant Since Fukushima

Japan has restarted its first nuclear reactor since safety fears following the 2011 Fukushima disaster prompted a nationwide shutdown. Kyushu Electric Power Co switched on the No 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant in the south of the country on Tuesday. It is the first of a number of reactors cleared to be restarted under new safety rules. All of Japan’s 43 workable reactors were taken offline in September 2013 pending safety checks.

The government will put safety first in resuming Japan’s use of nuclear power.

Japan’s industry minister Koichi Miyazawa.

The reactors had to be relicensed, refitted and vetted under tougher standards introduced in response to the Fukushima disaster. The nuclear meltdown in March 2011 was the worst since Chernobyl and happened after a magnitude-9 earthquake hit the area and triggered a deadly tsunami. Three reactors at the plant went into meltdown and hundreds of thousands had to be evacuated. More than 100,000 people were displaced due to radioactive contamination. Opinion polls show a majority of the Japanese public oppose the return to nuclear energy.

Asia-Pacific