Japan committed to nuclear power despite Fukushima fiasco

Japan is reopening the Sendai Nuclear Power Unit, the first nuclear facility to reopen since the Fukushima Daichii nuclear disaster over four years ago.

Kyushu Electric Power Co said it restarted the No 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant as planned.

The 31-year-old reactor, operating under tougher post-Fukushima safety rules, was expected to reach full capacity around 11pm Tuesday and would start generating power by Friday.

That is because without the electricity generated from Japan’s 43 nuclear reactors, the nation has resorted to expensive imported sources of fuel, such as coal, natural gas, and oil.

Local media said about 200 protesters gathered at the site, including former Prime Minister Naoto Kan who has become a high-profile anti-nuclear activist.

“Even though nuclear regulators in Japan haven been re-organized and strengthen after the Fukushima accident, it is still in question as to whether they are strong and independent enough”, he said. “The NRA and Kyushu Electric should explain to the public what to expect with restart of the reactor, inform them of the measures that have been taken to avoid incidents and accidents, and obtain the public’s consent”. The accident sent radiation over a wide area and forced tens of thousands from their homes, many of whom are likely to never return.

The nuclear reactor restart went off today without a hitch in Japan over protests from anti-nuclear groups. Why Japan closed all of its reactors abruptly and why we’re still tracing the spread of radioactive material across our Pacific Coast and into the atmosphere? Since nuclear plants are operated by private companies as business activities, power companies are primarily responsible for restarting atomic power stations and ensuring safety at the plants. Up to 18 reactors are needed to burn the plutonium stockpile. They are the only two class 7 incidents at active nuclear power plants in the nuclear power industry’s history. “Sendai nuclear power plant, Opposing the resumption of the operation “. Japan has historically run large trade surpluses, but its trade balance quickly turned negative after the shutdown of its entire nuclear fleet following the Fukushima meltdown.

After taking office in late 2012, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe rolled back a pledge by his predecessor’s government to phase out nuclear power by 2030. But many communities don’t want their reactors back online, and experts say idled plants deteriorate quickly.

Others, such as China, suspended construction to study safety lessons from the Fukushima disaster.

The Sendai plant is reopening on Tuesday, August 11, and electricity generation will begin on August 14.

After the Chernobyl-rivaling disaster, Japan overhauled its nuclear regulatory structure.

Other shortcomings of the new safety regulations surfaced in Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper. And the nuclear “restart” has been a key factor in driving down Abe’s approval ratings.