Japan hints at nuclear restarts after earthquake

Japan is readying to restart its first nuclear reactors since March’s devastating earthquake, according the economy minister Yukio Edano

The country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, which have risen significantly in the last six months, would fall by several million tonnes as a result. Japan has not restarted any reactor shut down since the earthquake and tsunami knocked several plants offline and caused meltdown at the Fukushima-Daiichi plant. Since the disaster, several additional reactors have gone offline for routine maintenance, but have not returned to service because of new stress tests introduced by the government. ‘We must ensure safety’ “If we can clear the conditions of ensuring safety and reassurance, then nuclear power plants suspended from operation for periodic testing can resume [operations],” Edano told