Last week's powerful earthquake in central Japan inflicted stress on parts of a local nuclear power plant that exceeded the limit anticipated in the facility's design, according to a report shared in a safety panel meeting.
Hokuriku Electric Power Co. has cleared a nagging safety hurdle in its long struggle to restart the No. 2 reactor of its Shika nuclear power plant in Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has urged his ministers to ease public concerns over the government's planned policy shift that will allow the operation of nuclear power plants beyond the current limit of 60 years. The instruction came after the country's nuclear watchdog decided this week to review regulatory standards…