TOKYO (Reuters) -- Kansai Electric Power said on Tuesday it will begin surveys for the construction of a reactor at its Mihama nuclear power station in Fukui prefecture in western Japan to replace an existing facility.
This marks the first concrete step toward building a nuclear reactor in Japan since a huge quake and tsunami in 2011 caused reactor meltdowns and the closure of Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima plant.
With Japan being heavily dependent on fossil fuel imports, the government wants nuclear power to contribute more to the country's energy security. Kansai Electric is currently Japan's biggest nuclear power operator based on total reactors online.
The surveys would focus on topography, geology and other factors, and communications with local residents would also be held, the company said in a statement.
Kansai Electric is considering the SRZ-1200 advanced light water reactor for the plant, an executive told a briefing on Tuesday. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is developing this type of reactor.
Japan has over a dozen reactors in operation, with a combined capacity of around 12 gigawatts. Many companies are undergoing a re-licensing process to meet stricter safety standards implemented after the Fukushima disaster. Before 2011, they were operating 54 reactors.
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