Hokkaido governor signals backing for Tomari reactor restart

Hokkaido’s governor, Suzuki Naomichi, has indicated that he is
prepared to endorse the restart of a reactor at the Tomari nuclear
power station, marking a significant step in Japan’s gradual return
to nuclear generation according to World Nuclear News
(WNN). Addressing members of the prefectural assembly, he said
the facility represents a practical option for maintaining energy
security in the near term and noted that the unit has been cleared
under the country’s strengthened safety regime.

Local sentiment appears increasingly supportive, with four
municipalities in the vicinity of the plant having already given
their consent local reports say. Suzuki is expected to visit the
site and hold further discussions with neighbouring mayors before
finalising the prefecture’s stance, a customary process in Japan’s
nuclear governance framework.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority earlier this year confirmed
that Tomari’s third unit — the most modern reactor in the Japanese
fleet — meets updated regulatory standards introduced after the
Fukushima disaster. Operator Hokkaido Electric Power is now
preparing to return the 912-MWe pressurised water reactor to
service, targeting an early 2027 restart. Backers of the project
are positioning the move as a means of easing pressure on household
and industrial energy costs while strengthening grid reliability
across Japan’s northernmost region.