The annual operations of the 1,356 MW No.7 reactor would reduce fuel buying by over JPY70 billion, cut carbon dioxide emissions by 5 million tonnes and save usage of 1.87 million kilolitres of crude oil equivalent, as per company and Reuters calculations.
Izumida will address the prefectural assembly meeting on May 7, 2009 to discuss the No.7 unit’s safety against earthquakes, a prefectural official said. It remains unclear if the governor’s approval will come on the same day or a few days after the assembly.
The assembly meeting was suspended after a small fire at the closed plant April 2009, the ninth such incident since the plant was closed by the July 2007 earthquake, in spite of repeated warnings from the central and local governments about safety issues.
Izumida does not require the assembly’s approval for the approval, but he has said he will address the assembly before announcing his decision.
All seven nuclear generators at nuclear plant have been shut down after a quake hit the region on July 16, 2007, and damaged No.7 unit would be the first of the seven to be restarted.
According to market sources, it will probably take about 40 to 50 days for TEPCO to conduct tests and pass a final government inspection before starting commercial operations in the No.7 generator.
It is uncertain when the rest of the 8,212 MW plant may restart.
