Kansai EP's Takahama-4 nuclear reactor to resume operations on 21 May

The company will have all its seven active nuclear reactors in operation.

The Unit 4 reactor at Kansai Electric Power’s (Kansai EP) Takahama site is expected to resume commercial operations on 21 May.

In a report, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) said Kansai EP now has seven active nuclear power plants which include the Mahima-3, Takahama-1 to 4, and Ohi-3 and 4, the first time a company had all its power plants in operation since the new regulatory standard in 2013.

Kansai EP restarted the operations at Mahima-3 in June 2021, Takahama-1 in July 2023, and Takahama-2 in September 2023, all of which were approved for operations of over 40 years.

Its total nuclear-generated electricity rose 58.4% year-on-year to 44.25 terawatt-hours in 2023, with a capacity factor of 76.6%.

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JAIF said Kansai EP decommissioned the Mahima-1 and Mahima-2 reactors in March 2015 but applied for examinations at Mahima-3 and Takahama-1 and -2 for compatibility with new regulatory standards.

It shut down the Ohi-1 and -2 reactors in December 2017.

Before the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Kansai EP had 11 nuclear reactors in operation from December 2008 to February 2009, according to JAIF.