Unit 7 of TEPCO nuclear station to restart

TEPCO gained approval to restart unit No.7 of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station from concerned political units.

Niigata Prefecture Governor Hirohiko Izumida, Kashiwazaki City Mayor Hiroshi Aida and Kariwa Mayor Hiroo Shinada relayed the approval to Tokyo Electric Power Company three months after the company asked for permission to restart operations of Unit 7 on 19 February 2009.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station Unit No.7 had been shut down since the Niigata-Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake occurred on 16 July 2007.

In response to this approval, TEPCO has made a series of functional test and has started up the reactor.

Through the test, TEPCO will confirm the soundness of the Unit No.7.

"Sincerely acknowledging the request from the Governor and Mayors when receiving the approval, TEPCO will make more efforts to disclose information and do our best to make safety the first priority," said TEPCO president Masataka Shimizu.

"As for the other units, TEPCO will steadily address the confirmation of the soundness of facilities, restoration works, seismic reinforcement works, etc. without prejudgment," he added.