Earthquake in Japan clouds the case for restarting nuclear power reactors
Earthquake in Japan clouds the case for restarting nuclear power reactors Source reuters.com By Reuters January 4, 2025, at 4:46 P.M Japan, January 4 (Reuters) - The strong earthquake that struck Japan's western shore on New Year's Day highlighted the nation's vulnerability to natural calamities and raised new concerns about efforts to restart the country's nuclear reactors. Because of its location on the seismically active "Ring of Fire" that encircles the Pacific Ocean, mountainous Japan is dotted with nuclear power reactors. Days after regulators lifted an operational prohibition on Tokyo Electric's (9501.T) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred on Monday, killing over 80 people in the Hokuriku region and destroying infrastructure and power to houses. The plant has been offline since 2012 and Tepco seeks municipal approval to reopen it. It is located about 120 kilometers from the epicentre of the earthquake. Due t