"Japan is set to restart the world's largest nuclear power plant as it turns back to the energy source a decade and a half after the Fukushima disaster prompted a nationwide shutdown of reactors. Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said on Wednesday that it was proceeding with preparations and aimed to restart operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata province at 7pm (10:00 GMT). However, safety concerns persist."
"The nation's trust in its nuclear energy infrastructure was destroyed by the 2011 triple meltdown at Fukushima, which was run by TEPCO, following a colossal earthquake and tsunami. Just one reactor of the seven at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will be restarted on Wednesday. When fully operational, the plant will generate 8.2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power millions of households. The plant is spread over 4.2sq km (1.6sq miles) of land in Niigata, on the coast of the Japan Sea."
TEPCO is preparing to restart one reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata, aiming to resume operations at 7pm (10:00 GMT). Only one of seven reactors will restart initially. When fully operational the site can generate 8.2 gigawatts. The plant occupies 4.2 sq km on the Sea of Japan coast and has a 15-metre tsunami wall and other safety upgrades. Restart preparations were delayed to investigate an alarm malfunction TEPCO says has been addressed. A petition signed by 40,000 raises seismic risk concerns. Japan shut down all 54 reactors after the 2011 Fukushima triple meltdown and is now restarting operable plants and planning new reactors with state funding to strengthen energy security.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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