If the utility decides to reapply, it must address not only the faults issue but it also must implement adequate safety measures for the entire plant, Yamanaka said. Providing scientific proof of the status of faults underneath key nuclear facilities is difficult, but other operators that obtained restart permits all cleared the requirement, he noted.
The Tsuruga No. 2 reactor first started commercial operation in February 1987 and has been offline since May 2011. The operator rejected the NRA panel’s 2013 on-site inspection results, which concluded that the faults under the No. 2 reactor were active, and applied for a restart in 2015.