Kansai Electric to restart surveys on building new reactor
Kansai Electric Power Company on Tuesday announced the plan for geological and other studies at the Mihama plant in Fukui Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.
Mori Nozomu, president of Kansai Electric says, "We will seek the understanding of local communities and continue to promote the nuclear power-generation business."
In 2010, Kansai Electric started surveys toward replacing an aging reactor at the plant. But they were suspended after the Fukushima Daiichi crisis the following year. Two reactors at Mihama were decommissioned in 2015.
The utility's move to restart surveys comes as the government approved a new basic energy plan earlier this year that calls for maximum use of nuclear power alongside renewables.
The government had been trying to reduce dependence on nuclear energy after the 2011 accident.
A geological survey is the first step for the construction of a new reactor. But Kansai Electric says it will not decide whether to proceed based solely on the results of the studies.
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