Hokkaido Governor Backs Tomari Nuclear Plant Restart

Sapporo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki on Friday announced his support for a planned restart of the No. 3 reactor at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.’s Tomari nuclear plant in the northern Japan prefecture. “The use of nuclear power is a realistic option that can be taken for now,” Suzuki told the Hokkaido assembly. Suzuki plans to make a final decision early next month based on discussions in the assembly and the opinions of other related local governments. In August, the central government asked for support for the restart from Hokkaido and four local municipalities, including the village of Tomari, which hosts the power plant. The villages of Tomari and Kamoenai and the town of Kyowa have already expressed their approval. The remaining one, the town of Iwanai, is expected to make a decision soon. If the Hokkaido government agrees, Hokkaido Electric will be able to make major progress toward the restart of the 912,000-kilowatt reactor in early 2027. In July this year, the Nuclear Regulation Authority formally adopted a report that the No. 3 reactor meets the new regulatory standards set after the 2011 meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 power plant. Suzuki had said he would make a decision on the restart by examining various factors comprehensively. On Wednesday, he told a regular press conference that he would express his opinion at the Hokkaido assembly. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]