Kansai Electric Power will launch full-scale assessments on the feasibility of constructing new nuclear reactors in exchange for decommissioning aging units.
In July, the Osaka-based utility announced plans to carry out geological and other surveys in the town of Mihama, Fukui Prefecture, home to its Mihama nuclear power plant, as groundwork for next-generation reactors. With local consent, the company aims to begin the surveys in November.
The initiative is the first concrete step in Japan toward new reactor construction linked to decommissioning since the March 2011 accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 plant, triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami.
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