Shimane governor OK’s restart of N-reactor

Jiji Press

11:02 JST, June 2, 2022

MATSUE, Shimane (Jiji Press)—Shimane Gov. Tatsuya Maruyama said Thursday he will approve the restart of the No. 2 reactor at Chugoku Electric Power Co.’s Shimane nuclear power station in the prefecture.

“I think it’s inevitable” to have the reactor restarted, Maruyama said at the day’s prefectural assembly meeting.

The governor’s approval would mark the completion of the process to gain the consent of local communities for the restart of the reactor, setting the Shimane nuclear plant, the only such plant located in a prefectural capital in the country, to be back online.

The city of Matsue, Shimane’s capital and home to the nuclear plant, gave its consent in February. The cities of Izumo, Yasugi and Unnan, all within 30 kilometers from the plant, have also agreed to the restart.

Once the reactor is restarted, the Shimane prefectural government will receive ¥500 million in state subsidies and is also likely to enjoy a rise in revenue from its nuclear fuel tax.

The No. 2 reactor at the Shimane plant was first put into operation in 1989. Since 2012, it has been idled for routine checkups.

Chugoku Electric applied with the Nuclear Regulation Authority for the reactor’s restart in 2013, and passed NRA screenings in September 2021.