Japan to restart two nuclear reactors by June

The Sendai plant. (Image by Theanphibian | Wikimedia Commons)

Four years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, a Japanese court has rejected a legal bid to prevent the reopening of the Sendai nuclear power station, supporting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to return to atomic energy.

Wednesday’s ruling by the Kagoshima District Court comes barely a week after court in Fukui blocked the restart of two reactors at a different power station over safety concerns.

Kyushu Electric Power’s Sendai plant is expected to be back in operations by June, Deutche Well reported. For now, all of Japan’s 48 commercial reactors remain offline following 2011’s Fukushima disaster, which has forced the island nation to import greater amounts of expensive natural gas and coal to meet its energy needs.

Before the nuclear disaster, caused by a massive quake and tsunami, about 30% of Japan’s power was nuclear generated.