(Bloomberg) -- Japan’s nuclear regulator said that the Tsuruga No. 2 reactor, operated by Japan Atomic Power Co., doesn’t meet mandatory regulatory standards due to a potentially active earthquake fault line underneath, broadcaster NHK reported.
Officials from the Nuclear Regulation Authority met on Friday to discuss whether a fault line that runs below the nuclear reactor could become active in the future, NHK reported. Though a final decision is yet to be made, the group found that seismic activity cannot be ruled out.
The meeting’s outcome is a blow to the operator, which has been following a stringent restart protocol to put Tsuruga No. 2 back online since 2015. Under safety standards put in place after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, key facilities cannot be built on top of a potentially active fault. The decision of the regulatory body could force Tsuruga No. 2 into decommissioning.
It’s also a blow to the Japanese government’s efforts to revive the use of atomic energy. The government said it will aim to restart existing, commercially viable reactors that are deemed safe, in an effort to harness clean and stable electricity supply.
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