Japan shuts down nuclear power plant

A nuclear reactor in central Japan’s Fukui Prefecture was halted on Saturday, just four months after its restart, as it could not meet a deadline set by regulators to implement anti-terrorism measures, Report informs, citing the Japan Times.

The suspension of Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Mihama No. 3 unit came ahead of the deadline on Monday for such measures to be completed. After undergoing safety checks, the utility aims to make the necessary changes to its facilities around September next year and restart operations in mid-October.

In June, the No. 3 unit went online for the first time in about ten years and became the first nuclear unit to operate beyond the government-mandated 40-year service period introduced under new rules set after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

The reactor had stopped operations after the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant crisis triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami. Regulators gave the green light to the aging No. 3 unit after screening the utility’s safety measures.

The Nos. 1 and 2 units of the Mihama plant were terminated in April 2015 in line with the 40-year limit.