TSURUGA, Fukui Pref. (Kyodo) Construction of two reactors at a power plant in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, delayed for further studies on earthquake safety, will start in March 2012, according to Japan Atomic Power Co.
Construction was originally planned to start last October. Start of operations of the plant's No. 3 and No. 4 reactors will be postponed by 16 months to July 2017 and July 2018, the operator said.
Japan Atomic Power on Wednesday reported the delayed schedule to the Tsuruga Municipal Government and submitted a revision of its fiscal 2010 energy supply plans to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The delay is certain to affect Japan's overall nuclear power policy.
The firm submitted a plan to METI in 2004 to decommission the plant's No. 1 reactor, the oldest commercial reactor in Japan, in 2016 and to build the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors.