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Market Chatter: Japan's Hokkaido Nuclear Plant Restart Could be Delayed After Site Fatality

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The restart of the sole nuclear power station on the Japanese island Hokkaido, which was halted more than a decade ago, could now be delayed after a fatal accident at the facility on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported.

A worker at the site died after he fell into a silo that contained gravel intended for use in building a seawall at the Tomari plant's unit 3, the report said, citing the operator Hokkaido Electric Power. It had been working towards the plant's restart by Dec. 2027, the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper said in July,

according to the Bloomberg article.

The power plant operator, Hokkaido Electric Power, said it will now review the restart date once an investigation into the fatality has been completed, it told Bloomberg.

The plant's shutdown came after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, but its restart was approved last November by Governor Naomichi Suzuki and the resumption of its supply was expected to significantly reduce power prices on the island, according to data from BloombergNEF.

The plant operator did not immediately reply to' request for comment.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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