Japan’s new energy minister said the country’s power supply challenges necessitate further restarts of nuclear reactors that have been taken offline since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
Energy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who took office on Aug. 10, said on Friday that he will push for the revival of the remaining nuclear plants that have not been certified for operation by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
“We are aware that it is important to restart more [nuclear reactors] for a stable electric power supply from next summer and onward,” Nishimura said in an interview with Jiji Press.
Nishimura said that nine nuclear reactors will restart operation by winter when power supply and demand are expected to be tight, following Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s request last month….