KEPCO restarts the first nuclear reactor at the Sendai plant / AP
Japan's electric power operator Kyushu Electric Power (KEPCO) restarted the No. 1 reactor at Sendai nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kagoshima prefecture in Japan, on August 11, the BBC reported.
The Sendai NPP is scheduled to start generating power on Friday, August 14.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that the reactors had passed "the world's toughest safety screening."
"I would like Kyushu Electric to put safety first and take utmost precautions for the restart," he said at a press conference in Tokyo.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also told a press conference, "Restarting nuclear plants that have been confirmed safe is important in our energy policy" that views nuclear power as a key electricity source.
It is not the first restart of the national NPPs after the incident at the Fukushima-1 in 2011. In July 2012, operations at Ohi nuclear power plant were resumed after intense negotiations between the government and the authorities of Fukui prefecture. However, one year after, they came to a halt for routine checks and since then have not been resumed as the local authorities have taken a tough stance on the issue.
Since shutting down all nuclear plants, Japan has been relying on imported fossil fuels for its energy, at huge expense. The government has said nuclear power must resume to cut both import bills and growing CO2 emissions, according to the report.
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority approved two reactors at the Sendai plant last September under stricter safety rules. The second reactor is due to be restarted in October.