Hokkaido nuclear reactor passes safety review for restart

The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority approved Wednesday, April 30, the restart of a reactor at the only nuclear power plant in Hokkaido. The decision was based on a positive review of the reactor safety measures. The reactor is unit No. 3 of the Tomari nuclear plant, managed by Hokkaido Electric Power Co. It should restart operations after the completion of a protective seawall around the plant in early 2027. Hokkaido Electric Power Co. applied for its safety review in 2013, and the authority checked if the structure satisfied the new safety standards adopted after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. The review, for example, focused on anti-seismic measures and the geological safety of the reactor site. On its part, Hokkaido Electric upgraded its quake-resistant design for the facilities to cope with more intense acceleration of seismic waves and raised the height of the potential tsunami it can withstand from 7.3 meters to 17.8 meters. It also started the construction of a protective seawall, raising its original height to 19 meters based on the authority’s advice on the possibility of liquefaction of soil. The cost of all these operations is over 500 billion yen ($3.6 billion).
The Tomari plant started operations in the early 1990s, first with reactor No. 1 and then with reactor No. 2. Reactor No. 3 became operative in 2009. However, three years later, all reactors were shut down under the new safety regulations implemented after the Fukushima accident. The Nuclear Regulation Authority is still reviewing the safety of reactors No. 1 and No. 2. The plant is also subjected to a closing order issued by the Sapporo District Court in 2022. The order was based on safety concerns about the facility. The case is currently debated at the Sapporo High Court.