TEPCO will start the commercial operations after the trade ministry’s Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency completes a two-day final test on July 24, 2009. The test is important before a reactor can be operated commercially.
The central government had accepted to restart and signed off on safety clearance for a second reactor, which also needs the local government’s approval to commence a test run. According to Deutsche Securities Inc. analyst Tomohiro Jikihara, TEPCO might start at least three reactors at the station by March 2010 and end two years of losses.
“It’s positive as the company can now focus on the restart of the No. 6 reactor,” Jikihara said. “The earlier it can make progress, the higher is the probability it can revive three reactors by the end of the fiscal year.”
