Japan nuclear reactors to restart after court victory

Despite public opposition following the Fukushima disaster in 2011, a court ruling has overturned a ban on two atomic plants owned by Kansai Electric Power.

The Number 4 (front L), Number 3 (front R), Number 2 (rear L) and Number 1 reactor buildings at Kansai Electric Power's Takahama nuclear power plant in Japan. A court has overturned a ban meaning two Show more

A Japan appeals court overturned a ruling that barred the operation of two nuclear reactors, a win for the nation’s atomic operators and government amid public opposition to the technology following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

The Osaka High Court ruling removes a injunction in place since March 2016 preventing Kansai Electric Power from running the Number 3 and 4 nuclear reactors at its Takahama facility, the company said on Tuesday. The decision is at least the third time a high court has ruled in favor of utilities seeking to restart reactors.

The prime minister Shinzo Abe’s government sees the return of atomic power as crucial for the country’s long-term energy security after Japan’s reactor fleet was idled for safety checks following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. Kansai Electric, the utility most dependent on nuclear power before the Fukushima disaster, has said when the units are in operation they boost its profits by ¥7 billion (Dh231.3m) a month.

“The threat of court intervention remains a serious obstacle to the Abe administration’s goal of full nuclear restarts,” said Daniel Aldrich, a director of the Security and Resilience Studies Program, Northeastern University in Boston, before the ruling. The removal of the ruling allows the government to move forward with part of its overall plan, he said.

The court decision is a plus for Kansai Electric’s credit strength, and the outlook for further restarts is somewhat positive for the creditworthiness of the electric utility sector, according to Hiroki Shibata, an analyst at S&P Global Ratings.

Kansai forecast a 6 per cent decline in net profit for the year ending March to ¥133bn, the company said on Tuesday after the decision was announced. Sales are seen dropping 7.3 per cent to ¥3 trillion and the utility estimates a ¥25 per share year-end dividend.

Before the Osaka-based company resumes operating the units, planned maintenance must be completed. The restart will take more than one month, NHK reported, citing to the utility.

The decision is the first time a higher court has overturned a ruling to favour nuclear restarts, according to Datsugenpatsu Bengodan, a group of lawyers who oppose nuclear power. The two previous higher court victories were both upholding lower court decisions that had allowed reactors to operate.

Just three of Japan’s 42 operable reactors are online.

* Bloomberg

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