![]() ![]() In fact, through regional transmission grids, many more countries depend in part on nuclear-generated power Italy and Denmark, for example, get almost 10% of their electricity from imported nuclear power. It was first developed in the 1940s, and during the Second World War research initially focused on producing bombs. In the 1950s attention turned to the peaceful use of nuclear fission, controlling it for power generation. For more information, see page on History of Nuclear Energy.Ĭivil nuclear power can now boast more than 18,000 reactor years of experience, and nuclear power plants are operational in 32 countries worldwide. Utilities are seeking approvals to restart 23 reactors, including the other Sendai reactor.Nuclear technology uses the energy released by splitting the atoms of certain elements. Accepting them as permanently closed would have financial implications that would be hard to manage," said Tomas Kaberger, chairman of the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation. "There are very strong vested interests to reopen nuclear reactors. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sought to have the reactors restarted as soon as possible to help reduce costly reliance on imported oil and gas and alleviate the financial burden on utilities of maintaining the idled plants. I hope to gain the public's understanding of the situation," Miyazawa said. "It would be impossible to achieve all these three things simultaneously - keep nuclear plants offline, while also trying to curb carbon dioxide and maintain the same electricity cost. Miyazawa said nuclear power is "indispensable" for Japan. To offset the shortfall in power output, the country ramped up imports of oil and gas and fired up more thermal power plants, slowing progress toward reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases. Yoichi Miyazawa, Japan's industry minister, said Tuesday that the government would "put safety first" in resuming use of nuclear power.Īll of Japan's 43 workable reactors were idled for the past two years pending safety checks. The second Sendai reactor is due to restart in October. 1 reactor is scheduled to start generating power Friday and reach full capacity next month. The Nuclear Regulation Authority affirmed the safety of the Sendai reactor and another one at the plant last September under stricter safety rules imposed after the 2011 accident, the worst since the 1986 Chornobyl explosion.Įmployees of Kyushu Electric Power restart operations inside the central control room at Sendai nuclear power station in Satsumasendai, Japan, on Tuesday. And certainly not all the necessary precautions for such accidents have been taken here," Kan shouted to the crowd of about 300 people. "Accidents are unpredictable, that's why they happen. Dozens of protesters, including ex-Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who was in office at the time of the disaster and has become an outspoken critic of nuclear power, were gathered outside the plant as police stood guard. The Fukushima disaster displaced more than 100,000 people due to radioactive contamination and spurred a national debate over this resource-scarce country's reliance on nuclear power.Ī majority of Japanese oppose the return to nuclear energy. Fukushima rice passes radiation tests for 1st time since disaster.Fukushima nuclear plant cleanup plan approved by Japan.3 former TEPCO executives to face charges over Fukushima nuclear crisis.Tomomitsu Sakata, a spokesman for Kyushu Electric Power, said the reactor was put back online without any problems. The national broadcaster NHK showed plant workers in the control room as they turned the reactor back on. ![]() The restart marks Japan's return to nuclear energy four-and-half-years after the 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan following an earthquake and tsunami. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant as planned. A power plant operator in southern Japan restarted a nuclear reactor on Tuesday, the first to begin operating under new safety requirements following the Fukushima disaster. ![]()
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