Japan’s nuclear regulator has permitted the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant to restart. It has been idle since being damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
Located in the Ibaraki Prefecture about 70km northeast from Tokyo and named after a nearby village, the Tokai plant was among the first to be hit by the quake, sending it into an emergency shutdown. The subsequent tsunami damaged the site further, but not as seriously as the Fukishima plant meaning it was able to properly cool the reactor.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said on Wednesday that it cleared the Tokai No. 2 plant for operations, the Japan Times reported. It has to pass further screening in November, when it reaches the age of 40, and may face decommissioning if the NRA (Nuclear Regulation Authority) decides not to extend its lifetime beyond the regulatory 4-decade limit. The newspaper says if the plant does go back online, it would likely not happen before March 2021.
