The governor of Japan's Fukui Prefecture today approved the restart of three reactors owned by Kansai Electric Power Company - Takahama units 1 and 2, and Mihama unit 3. His consent was the final approval needed for the reactors - all aged over 40 years old - to resume operation.

Japan's nuclear regulator today approved Tokyo Electric Power Company's decommissioning plan for the four reactors at its Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant, close to the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant.

The Hiroshima High Court today overturned a temporary injunction against the operation of unit 3 at Shikoku Electric Power Company's Ikata nuclear power plant in Japan's Ehime prefecture. Meanwhile, the Mito District Court has ordered a suspension of the operation of unit 2 at Japan Atomic Power Company's Tokai plant in Ibaraki prefecture.

The March 2011 accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant "galvanised the international community," International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today. He outlined the work the IAEA and its Member States have done to strengthen nuclear safety in the ten years since the accident.

The slow-down in the development of nuclear energy globally, as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi accident, poses dire consequences for our fight against climate change, global human health and the resilience of global electricity systems, writes Sama Bilbao y León, director general of World Nuclear Association.

The German government has reached an agreement with EOn, EnBW, RWE and Vattenfall on compensation for the forced premature closure of their nuclear power reactors. The utilities are set to receive a total of almost EUR2.5 billion (USD3.0 billion) in compensation after agreeing to drop all legal actions against the government related to the nuclear phaseout. The final regulation related to the compensation will be made into law by the end of this year.

Ten years after the March 2011 earthquake and subsequent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant resulted in significant disruption to its energy supply, Japan has made visible progress towards realising its vision of an efficient, resilient and sustainable energy system, the International Energy Agency said today. However, it warned the country must act quickly if it is to achieve its ambition of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. The restart of its idled nuclear power reactors will help it reach that goal, the IEA said.

As work to decommission the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and revitalise the surrounding area continues, there are many ways international communities can learn, assist Japan and support each other, according to a new report from OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. Published today, ahead of the 10th anniversary of the disaster, the report summarises the circumstances of the accident, the current status of the site, and lessons learned. It also considers the challenges that lie ahead and makes policy recommendations.

A new technology using drones, developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency for use by the authorities of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan, allows for the remote monitoring of radiation measurements in areas where contamination is too high for people to enter. The IAEA said the technology is now available for practical use in routine or emergency situations.

Upgrades to safety measures to comply with new regulatory requirements were completed yesterday at unit 7 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata prefecture, Tokyo Electric Power Company has announced. Although the utility has already received regulatory approval to restart the reactor, it must still obtain local consent.

The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority has today approved the independent core cooling systems implemented by the operators of the country's nuclear power plants. The operators were required to introduce such systems following the accident at Fukushima Daiichi. The systems were to be in place by the end of this year in order for the reactors to continue operating.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has approved the modification of safety measures at Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited's mixed-oxide fuel fabrication plant under construction in Rokkasho, in Aomori Prefecture. Under the current schedule, the facility is expected to be completed between April and September 2022.