Onagawa Nuclear Reactor Restarts in Japan After 13 Years

A reactor at the Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, has begun generating power for the first time since the Fukushima disaster in March 2011.

Operated by Tohoku Electric Power Company, the Onagawa No. 2 reactor restarted at 6 p.m. local time on Friday.

The reactor will undergo adjustments and equipment checks before beginning full commercial operations in December.

Producing 825,000 kilowatts, the reactor is expected to supply electricity to 1.62 million households annually at 70% capacity.

The reactor had been reactivated on October 29 but was temporarily halted on November 4 due to a device issue, which has since been resolved.

All three reactors at the Onagawa plant use the same boiling water technology as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.