Japan Relaunches 3rd Reactor of Mihama NPP, Reports Say

TOKYO (Sputnik) - Japan's Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) that operates the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has relaunched the third reactor of the facility after a small delay caused by a leak of radioactive water, Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday.

The resumption of the reactor's operation was initially scheduled for August 10, but was postponed at a later date as seven tonnes of water with radioactive elements leaked at the unit on August 1, according to the media outlet. Over half of the water was collected into a special tank. The operator reportedly said there was no impact on the environment.

KEPCO plans to launch energy production on September 1, while the start of commercial load is scheduled for September 26, the company said in a press release, cited by the Japanese news agency.

The Mihama NPP is located in Fukui Prefecture. It is the first reactor older than 40 years that was relaunched after the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP in March 2011. The restart took place in June 2021, but it was stopped again several months later due to non-compliance with anti-terrorist security requirements.

According to the Japanese law, the maximum operation period of NPP reactors is limited to 40 years, but can be extended for another 20 years, provided that they comply with all requirements and pass necessary inspections. The third reactor of the Mihama NPP was out of service for 10 years after it was shut down following the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP.

The Fukushima-1 NPP experienced core meltdowns as a result of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. The accident became the worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl crisis, leading to massive radiation exposure and contamination of surrounding lands and waters.