Japan's first nuclear reactor restart may be delayed: Regulator

Source: Reuters

Japan's nuclear regulator on Thursday poured cold water on the schedule for the first restart of a reactor under new safety rules introduced since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, a day after a court cleared the way for the resumption of operations.

Kyushu Electric Power's plan to restart the first of two reactors at its Sendai plant in southwestern Japan from mid-July is too optimistic, Nuclear Regulatory Authority Commissioner Toyoshi Fuketa told officials from the utility at a publicly televised safety review meeting.

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Kyushu Electric, which is due to report a fourth year of losses for the 12 months through March this year, is desperate to restart the reactors to cut costs from importing fossil fuels to generate electricity.

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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has been pushing to bring some of the country's reactors back online, arguing they are key to economic growth, but opinion polls show a consistent majority oppose restarts, even though power bills have risen.

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