Resumption of Nuclear Reactor in Hokkaido

The Governor of Hokkaido, Naomichi Suzuki, announced on November 28th that he would approve resumption of reactor #3 in Tomari Nuclera Power Plant in western part of Hokkaido Island. “I think taking advantage of nuclear power plant is one of the realistic choices we can take for the time being,” said Suzuki to Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly. The owner of the plant, Hokkaido Electric Power Company, expects to restart the operation of reactor #3 early in FY 2027.

Reactor #1 and #2 in Tomari plant stopped its operation few months after a severe accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. The reactor #3, the youngest reactor in Japan, stopped in May 2012, making it the last reactor that survived for the longest time since Fukushima accident. The reactor #3 passed the examination of Nuclear Regulation Authority for resumption in July 2025, based on new regulatory standard set after Fukushima accident.

 

Resumption of a nuclear reactor requires not only passing authorized examination, but approval of local communities, including cities, towns and villages around nuclear power plant and governor of the prefecture where the plant is located. As four towns and villages around Tomari plant has agreed on resuming a nuclear reactor in Tomari plant, people watched whether Suzuki would approve the resumption.

 

In the discussion of Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly, Suzuki explained that he could expect cheaper payment for supply of electricity and nuclear power plant would contribute to growth of Hokkaido economy and to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity in Hokkaido has been dependent on fossil fuel energy, since Tomari plant stopped its operation thirteen years ago.

 

It is expected that a new major chip factory of Rapidus in Chitose will need a great amount of electric power. It will start its operation in 2027. A data center of Softbank in Tomakomai, scheduled to start in 2026, will be another great consumer of electricity. To let those new businesses in Hokkaido enjoy economic prosperity, large and stable provider of electricity is indispensable. It is assumed that Hokkaido will need 13 percent more electricity for next ten years.

 

Resumption of nuclear reactors in eastern Japan is consecutively decided. Governor of Miyagi approved restarting reactor #2 in Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant of Tohoku Electric Power Company in November 2020. Governor of Niigata recently approved resumption of reactor #6 and #7 in Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in earlier this month. Suzuki has been waiting for a good timing for his announcement.

 

As nuclear reactors keep on resuming, Japan has a fundamental problem for nuclear power generation. It has no place for nuclear waste produced from the resumed reactors to go. Although Japanese government decided to bury nuclear waste from nuclear power plant somewhere in Japan in 2000. The government is continuing research for building a facility for preservation of used nuclear fuel in Hokkaido, but there is no perspective so far for the location of it. Resumption of nuclear reactors are ongoing without no hope for disposal of highly harmful waste absolutely produced from nuclear power generation.

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