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Ehime Governor approves restart

October 26, 2015

Ehime governor approves restart of Ikata nuclear plant

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201510260036

 

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

MATSUYAMA--Ehime Governor Tokihiro Nakamura gave the go-ahead on Oct. 26 to resume operations at the Ikata nuclear power plant, becoming the second prefectural government to approve the restart of idle reactors under stricter safety guidelines.

"This is a decision made with an extremely large responsibility attached," Nakamura told Hayato Saeki, Shikoku Electric Power Co. president, at the Ehime prefectural government building. "I made the decision after comprehensively considering the thinking of the central government, the posture of Shikoku Electric in working toward resumption of operations and discussions at the local level."

The No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture were the first to go back online under the tighter safety regulations implemented by the Nuclear Regulation Authority following the 2011 accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Shikoku Electric, the operator of the Ikata No. 3 reactor, could resume operations as early as this winter after it finalizes approval paperwork with the NRA and completes inspections before the resumption of operations.

The governor also presented to Saeki nine points on which he wants cooperation from Shikoku Electric, which include a thorough system of notification during emergencies; continued briefings to local residents; and support for disaster prevention measures to be taken by the prefectural and municipal governments.

Nakamura later held a news conference where he explained the reasoning behind his approval, as well as the measures he asked Shikoku Electric to take.

Ikata Mayor Kazuhiko Yamashita met with Nakamura on Oct. 22 and conveyed the town government's consent to resume operations at the Ikata plant. Nakamura was expected to meet with Motoo Hayashi, the economy minister, in Tokyo on Oct. 26 and pass on his approval for the resumption of operations.

No local government in Ehime Prefecture that lies within the 30-kilometer radius from the Ikata nuclear plant expressed opposition to the restart. The radius denotes the area for concentrated disaster prevention measures.

The approval from the Ehime prefectural and Ikata town governments comes about three months after the NRA approved in July the basic policy for safety measures laid out by Shikoku Electric.

The No. 3 reactor at the Ikata plant began commercial generation of electricity in December 1994. It is a pressurized-water type reactor, which is different from those at the Fukushima No. 1 plant. The two reactors that have resumed operations at the Sendai plant are also pressurized-water types, as are the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture, which is also pushing for the resumption of operations.

The Ikata reactor was converted in March 2010 to plutonium-thermal (pluthermal) power generation, which burns mixed oxide (MOX) fuel that contains plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel. Operations were halted in April 2011 for normal safety inspections.

Nakamura's consent is the first granted for a pluthermal power plant since the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Local gov. approves 3rd reactor restart under tougher rules

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20151026p2a00m0na014000c.html

 

MATSUYAMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The governor of Ehime Prefecture in western Japan gave approval Monday for the restart of a nuclear reactor that will be the third in the country to resume operations under tougher safety rules introduced after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Ehime Gov. Tokihiro Nakamura conveyed his approval to restart the No. 3 unit at Shikoku Electric Power Co.'s Ikata plant in a meeting with the utility's President Hayato Saeki at the prefectural office building.

"It would be better not to have (a nuclear plant). Still, we have no choice but to implement the most advanced safety measures and live with it until we find alternative energy to nuclear power," Nakamura said at a press conference after the meeting.

The No. 3 unit at Ikata is one of five reactors acknowledged by regulators as safe enough to restart in line with a set of tougher safety requirements introduced in the wake of the disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Japan ended a nearly two-year period without nuclear power in August when one of the Sendai reactors run by Kyushu Electric Power Co.in southwestern Japan was brought back online amid continuing public concerns about nuclear energy.

The Japanese government welcomed the decision by the Ehime governor, as it looks to generate about a fifth of the nation's overall electricity with nuclear power plants in 2030, compared with roughly 30 percent before the Fukushima disaster, in an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions and lower fuel costs.

"There is no change in the government's policy of proceeding with the restart of reactors that meet the Nuclear Regulation Authority's stringent regulations by gaining local understanding" of restarts, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a regular press conference.

About 30 protesters gathered in front of the prefectural office building, demanding the utility stop the resumption.

"This is an important issue that affects the lives of (local) residents but the governor is not considering it seriously," said Tsukasa Wada, 63, a member of a local group aiming to prevent the restart of the reactor.

The reactor had cleared the Nuclear Regulation Authority's safety screening process in July. But the timing of the restart is expected to be January or later because some necessary procedures remain, including obtaining the authority's approval for detailed designs of equipment at the facility.

The governor's nod came as the final step in the process of securing local approval. The mayor of Ikata town as well as the prefectural and Ikata assemblies have already given their consent.

Kyushu Electric's Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Sendai complex in Kagoshima Prefecture resumed operations on Aug. 11 and Oct. 15, respectively, becoming the first two reactors to return to operation among 26 reactors for which Japanese utilities have applied for regulatory safety reviews to restart.

October 26, 2015 (Mainichi Japan)

 

 

Ehime governor agrees to restart nuclear plant

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20151026_14.html

 

 

Oct. 26, 2015 - Updated 02:18 UTC+1

The governor of Ehime Prefecture in western Japan has decided to approve the restart of a nuclear reactor in his prefecture.

In a meeting on Monday, Tokihiro Nakamura informed the president of Shikoku Electric Power Company that he agrees to the restart of the No. 3 reactor at the Ikata nuclear power plant.

The plant is the 2nd to obtain approval for a restart from the local prefecture and municipality under new regulations introduced after the 2011 accident in Fukushima. The town of Ikata has already agreed to restart the reactor.

The reactor passed a screening by the Nuclear Regulation Authority in July. But the regulators have yet to approve its restart and inspect new equipment.

Shikoku Electric is expected to restart the reactor next spring or later.

 

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