TOKYO (AP) – A Japanese nuclear plant won preliminary approval Wednesday for meeting stringent post-Fukushima safety requirements, clearing a major hurdle toward becoming the first to restart under the tighter rules.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority accepted a report that found that design upgrades and safety improvements at Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s two reactors at the Sendai Nuclear Power Station have complied with the requirements introduced last July.
The regulators said the plant is now deemed capable of avoiding severe accidents such as the Fukushima Dai-ichi meltdowns in an equally serious situation.
The authority is expected to give final approval after a 30-day technical and scientific public comment period.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to bring at least some of Japan’s 48 reactors back online, saying a prolonged shutdown hurts Japan’s economy.