On the 15th, the local Mihama Town, Fukui Prefecture, announced its consent to restart the Mihama Nuclear Power Station Unit 3 of the Kansai Electric Power Company, which has been in operation for more than 40 years.
In Fukui Prefecture, two nuclear power plants at Takahama have already obtained the consent of the local government, and from now on, Fukui Prefecture's judgment on the three nuclear power plants over 40 years will be the focus.
In principle, the operation period of the nuclear power plant is limited to 40 years, but if it passes the examination of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, it can be extended up to 60 years, and Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 has already passed this examination.
On the 15th, the mayor of Mihama Town, Toshima, told the town council that he would agree to restart the town.
The reason was that the national government and Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. showed a positive attitude toward coexistence with the local community.
In Fukui Prefecture, the local Takahama Town has already agreed to restart the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant as well as the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2, and the prefecture's consent will be the focus for the restart of the three units over 40 years in the future. ..
Regarding this, Governor Sugimoto of Fukui Prefecture has said that it is a premise of the restart discussion to show the candidate sites for exporting spent nuclear fuel outside the prefecture.
However, last week, Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. and the government announced that it would make the "interim storage facility" in Aomori Prefecture one of the options for shipping, and that it would continue to adjust other locations and finalize it by the end of 2023. It shows the attitude to start discussions on restarting.
Mayor Mihama "Going one step has a big effect on the local economy"
Hideki Toshima, the mayor of Mihama Town, Fukui Prefecture, who agreed to restart Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, said, "Since the town has been promoting town development that coexists with nuclear power, taking this step forward has a great effect on the local economy." He said, "Fukui Prefecture will continue to discuss the necessity and safety with the parliament, so I would like to keep an eye on the transition."