美浜３号機、６月にも再稼働　４０年超原発で初―関電

　関西電力が、運転開始から４０年を超える美浜原発３号機（福井県美浜町）を６月中にも再稼働する方針を固めたことが１１日、分かった。東京電力福島第１原発事故後、原則４０年とされた運転期間を超える原発が再稼働するのは初めて。関電は近く正式な工程を発表する。
　美浜３号機に加え、同じく運転開始から４０年超の高浜原発１、２号機（福井県高浜町）の計３基について、福井県の杉本達治知事は４月、再稼働への同意を表明した。これを受け、関電は調整を進めていた。
　美浜３号機について、関電は５月中に原子炉への核燃料搬入を始め、６月中にも再稼働させる計画だ。ただ、テロ対策施設の工事が設置期限の１０月２５日までに完了しなければ運転を停止しなければならず、関電は期限内の完成を目指す。（2021/05/11-23:32）

Kansai Electric Power Co. plans to restart one of its nuclear power reactors over 40 years old as early as next month, it was learned Tuesday.
   The power supplier serving the Kansai region of western Japan is expected to shortly announce an official timetable for bringing back online the No. 3 reactor at its Mihama nuclear power station in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, informed sources said.
   Among nuclear reactors in Japan that went into service more than 40 years ago, the Mihama No. 3 unit would be the first to be reactivated since the March 2011 triple meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.
   After the worst nuclear accident in Japan, the maximum operating period for nuclear power reactors was set at 40 years in principle. The 826,000-kilowatt No. 3 reactor at the plant in the town of Mihama began operations in 1976.
   The move by Kansai Electric comes after Fukui Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto last month gave the prefecture's go-ahead to the restart of the Mihama No. 3 reactor, and the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the company's Takahama nuclear power plant, also in Fukui.