Kansai Electric Power Company announced today that it had restarted unit 4 of its Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture. The reactor - which together with unit 3 has been offline since March 2016 - is expected to re-enter commercial operation next month.

Japan's Toshiba Corporation expects to report a consolidated net loss of JPY950 billion ($8.4 billion) for the 2016-2017 financial year, ending 31 March, according to unaudited results it released today. Last month, the company warned of a net loss for the full year of about JPY1 trillion.

Toshiba Corp said today it will establish its four in-house companies as wholly-owned subsidiaries and aim to "to maximise the value of each business". As of 1 October, it will split off its Energy Systems & Solutions Company, and the Nuclear Energy Systems & Solutions Division, and transfer them to a newly established company.

Decommissioning plans for five Japanese reactors officially taken out of service in April 2015 have today been approved by the country's nuclear regulator. The plans outline the facilities and equipment to be dismantled and a timetable for completing the work.

Exelon Generation and Japan Atomic Power Company have formed a joint venture company "to leverage Exelon's expertise in operational excellence and safety among international operators using Japanese reactor technologies". The new company, JExel Nuclear, is expected to sign an "advisory services" contract with Horizon Nuclear Power.

Japan's continued use of nuclear power requires the public to be informed about the importance of the energy source and for its confidence in the industry to be restored, according to Japan Atomic Industrial Forum chairman Takashi Imai.

Toshiba Corp has reported a loss of ¥532 billion ($4.8 billion) for the first nine months of its 2016 financial year (April to December), up from a ¥479.4 billion loss recorded in the same period of FY2015. The nine-month financial results - which the firm's auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers Aarata LLC, have refused to sign off - have already been delayed twice and raise the possibility that Toshiba could be delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has approved the restart of Global Nuclear Fuel-Japan's fuel fabrication plant in Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture. Last month the regulator concluded the facility meets revised safety standards.

Russia is ready to build "effective and full-scale" cooperation with Japan in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy to harness the innovations of Russian scientists, Alexey Likhachov, director-general of state nuclear corporation Rosatom said this week. Likhachov began a working visit to Japan on 4 April, where he said in an interview with the Japan Times that cooperation between the two countries was "becoming an urgent necessity".

French utility Engie plans to transfer its 40% share in UK nuclear power plant developer NuGeneration to Japan's Toshiba. NuGen, which plans to build three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at Moorside in West Cumbria is "facing some significant challenges", Engie said, that have led to the decision to exercise its contractual right to transfer its stake to Toshiba.

The Hiroshima District Court has today rejected a petition by a group of residents for a temporary injunction against the operation of unit 3 at the Ikata nuclear power plant in Japan's Ehime prefecture. The decision comes days after another court removed an injunction against the operation of Takahama units 3 and 4.

Westinghouse filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors today to enable strategic restructuring amid "financial and construction challenges" in its US AP1000 power plant projects. For its Japanese majority owner, Toshiba Corp, the move helps stem further liabilities from guarantees it provided its USA-based unit, which were $9.8 billion as of December.