Chugoku Electric Power plans to restart the No. 2 reactor of its Shimane nuclear power station in August next year if it gains regulatory approval, the company said Monday.
The move comes as Japan aims to reboot more reactors to help diversify its electricity mix, aiming to strengthen its energy security while boosting emission-free power sources to combat climate change.
The regional utility submitted the restart plan to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on Monday after the authority last month approved a construction plan to implement countermeasures against accidents, the company said in a statement.
Chugoku Electric plans to begin loading nuclear fuel in June next year and start up the reactor in August. The reactor has been shut since January 2012 as Japan reinforced safety regulations after the Fukushima nuclear power disaster.