Japan moves closer to nuclear restart

Japan has moved closer to generating nuclear power for the first time since 2013 after a court approved the restart of two reactors.

The court in Kagoshima, on Japan's southern island of Kyushu, rejected a petition by residents opposed to restarting the No 1 and No 2 reactors at the Sendai plant.

All of Japan's nuclear reactors remain offline, posing a serious challenge to a country with no fossil fuel reserves of its own.

Wednesday's decision means the two reactors could be online again by June, an important step towards reviving Japan's nuclear industry four years after a tsunami caused a series of devastating meltdowns in Fukushima.

Last week, a court in Fukui prefecture reached the opposite decision, blocking the restart of two reactors at a different power station.

Although the legal fight is set to continue, the Sendai reactors have passed the strict new safety standards set by Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, and local politicians have approved the restart. It is therefore likely to go ahead.

Ikumasa Maeda, the judge in Kagoshima, said the new nuclear safety standards were based on extensive debate by experts. "They reflect the latest science and I cannot judge them unreasonable," he ruled in his decision.

In last week's case the judge had ruled it "too optimistic" to assume there would be no earthquake that exceeded the standards.

Outside the court, the lawyers suing to stop nuclear power unrolled banners declaring it an "unjust decision", and vowed to fight on.

"With this rejection, the court has abandoned its duty as a fortress of human rights," they said in a statement. "The cowardly attitude of a judge who does not stop abuse of human rights by government deserves strong criticism."

Restarting some reactors would help Japan reduce its energy import bill and lower greenhouse gas emissions but the long-term future of nuclear power remains in doubt because of strong public opposition.

The restart decision comes as Japan's government, led by prime minister Shinzo Abe, debates a new long-term energy strategy due for publication this summer.

Supporters of nuclear power - including many in the ruling Liberal Democratic party as well as Japan's "nuclear village" of utilities and suppliers - want to require a high level of baseload power. Opponents are calling for greater use of renewables.

© The Financial Times Limited 2015. All rights reserved.
FT and Financial Times are trademarks of the Financial Times Ltd.
Not to be redistributed, copied or modified in any way.
Euro2day.gr is solely responsible for providing this translation and the Financial Times Limited does not accept any liability for the accuracy or quality of the translation