The Fukushima nuclear reactor damaged by the earthquake and tsunami is restarted for the first time

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese nuclear reactor that survived a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami that severely damaged the nearby Fukushima nuclear power plant was restarted Tuesday for the first time since the disaster after a safety upgrade, as the government seeks a renewed expansion of nuclear power. . Energy to provide stable energy and reduce carbon emissions.

Tohoku Electric Power Co., operator of the No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant on Japan's northern coast, said it has been restarted and is expected to start generating power in early November.

The reactor is one of three at the Onagawa plant, located 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, where three reactors melted down following a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, releasing large amounts of radiation.

The Onagawa plant was hit by a 13-meter (42 ft) tsunami, but was able to keep critical cooling systems operating in all three reactors and achieve a safe shutdown.

All 54 commercial nuclear power plants in Japan were shut down after the Fukushima disaster for safety checks and upgrades. Reactor No. 2 at Onagawa is the 13th of 33 still serviceable reactors to return to operation. It is also Japan's first restart of the same type of reactor damaged in Fukushima.

Tohoku Electric President Kojiro Higuchi said the restart of the reactor highlights the region's recovery from the disaster.

Last year, the Japanese government adopted a plan to maximize the use of nuclear energy, including accelerating the restart of closed reactors, extending the operational life of older plants, and developing next-generation reactors, as the country struggles to secure a stable energy supply and meet its needs. Its pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

“Nuclear energy, along with renewable energy sources, is an important source of energy for decarbonization,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday. “We will maximize its use while ensuring safety.”

Hayashi said restarting nuclear reactors is also increasingly important for Japan's economic growth.

Concerns about the government's nuclear renewable energy efforts grew after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula on January 1, 2024, killing more than 400 people and damaging more than 100,000 buildings. Minor damage was reported at two nuclear facilities and evacuation plans in the area were found to be inadequate.

For the Onagawa No. 2 reactor, Tohoku Electric began in 2013 to upgrade safety, including tsunami risk assessments and anti-seismic measures. It also built an anti-tsunami wall extending up to 29 meters (95 feet) above sea level and received safety approval from regulators in 2020.

Twenty-one nuclear reactors in Japan, including six at Fukushima Daiichi and one at Onagawa, are currently being decommissioned because their operators chose to scrap them rather than invest huge sums to purchase additional safety equipment required under stricter post-Fukushima safety standards.

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