Osaka –

Kansai Electric Power Co. is planning to build a next-generation nuclear reactor at its Mihama power plant in Fukui Prefecture, sources said Friday.

The company will shortly resume a survey of geological and other conditions for building the new reactor, informed sources said. The survey was suspended after the March 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami that triggered the country's worst nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holding's Fukushima No. 1 plant in northeastern Japan.

This is the first concrete move toward building a new reactor in the country since the disaster.

The move comes after the government adopted a new basic energy plan in February, clarifying its policy of making maximum use of nuclear plants and outlining plans to work on the development and installation of next-generation reactors that are safer than conventional ones.

Still, there is strong opposition to building a new reactor in Japan.

At the Mihama plant, the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors are set to be decommissioned. The No. 3 unit is currently active, but next year, it will mark its 50th year in operation.

In April, Kansai Electric released its fiscal 2025 plan, which calls for creating a business environment to replace nuclear reactors.

If the survey at the Mihama plant finds it feasible to build a new reactor there, the company is expected to submit an application to the Nuclear Regulation Authority and accelerate related moves.

Under the basic energy plan, the government aims to raise the share of nuclear energy in the country's power sources from the current level below 10% to around 20% in fiscal 2040. To meet this target, more than 30 nuclear reactors need to be operational.

Among other power utilities in Japan, Kyushu Electric Power Co. has included a plan to consider developing a next-generation reactor in its management vision for the period until 2035.