Published: 13:37, October 29, 2024
Onagawa nuclear reactor to restart in Japan's 2011 disaster-hit region
By Xinhua
In this file photo dated July 30, 2012, the Onagawa nuclear power plant is seen in Onagawa, Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan. (PHOTO / AP)

TOKYO - A nuclear reactor at the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant in northeastern Japan will resume operation Tuesday, marking its first restart since the area was affected by the 2011 earthquake disaster, local media reported.

This will also mark the first boiling water reactor, the same type as the damaged Fukushima Daiichi reactors, to be reactivated since the disaster.

During the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the Onagawa plant sustained significant damage, losing most of its external power supply and experiencing flooding in underground facilities.

READ MORE: Japan's Tohoku Electric to restart Onagawa No 2 reactor in Sept

The Onagawa reactor, operated by Tohoku Electric Power Co, cleared safety screening in February 2020 under tougher post-Fukushima crisis safety standards and gained local consent to resume operations, Kyodo News reported.

The Tohoku Electric Power aims to begin generating and transmitting power at the plant in early November, with commercial operations expected to start around December.

The Japanese government has been pushing for reactor restarts to help secure energy in the resource-limited nation, though safety concerns about nuclear power persist among the public.

READ MORE: Tohoku Electric gets nod to restart reactor damaged in 2011 disaster

Beyond Onagawa, 12 other reactors across six power plants in central, western, and southwestern Japan have resumed operations after meeting stricter safety standards, according to Kyodo News.