Japanese utility Kansai Electric Power Company is to cut its electricity prices for customers by more than 5% on average following the restart of units 3 and 4 of its Ohi nuclear power plant and the subsequent reduction in fuel costs. The company made a similar price cut last August after units 3 and 4 of its Takahama plant resumed commercial operation.

The German cabinet has agreed to grant compensation of up to EUR1 billion (USD1.17 billion) to the utilities forced to shut down their nuclear power plants by the Energiewende, or energy transition, that the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel introduced in response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in Japan in March 2011. At that time, Germany was obtaining around a quarter of its electricity from 17 nuclear reactors operated by EOn, RWE and Vattenfall.

Unit 4 of the Ohi nuclear power plant in Japan's Fukui Prefecture began supplying electricity to the grid again on 11 May, Kansai Electric Power Company has announced. The reactor is expected to re-enter commercial operation early next month.

Unit 3 of the Ohi nuclear power plant in Japan's Fukui Prefecture today resumed commercial operation, Kansai Electric Power Company announced. The reactor is the sixth to be restarted after clearing the country's revised safety regulations.

Unit 2 of the Ikata nuclear power plant in Japan's Ehime prefecture is to be decommissioned, Shikoku Electric Power Company announced today. It becomes the ninth operable Japanese reactor to be declared for decommissioning since the Fukushima Daiichi accident.

Kyushu Electric Power Company today began the process of restarting operation of unit 3 at its Genkai nuclear power plant in Japan's Saga prefecture. The reactor is scheduled to resume commercial operation next month.

A Japanese court today rejected a lawsuit seeking to stop construction and subsequent operation of Japan Electric Power Development Corp's (J-Power's) Ohma nuclear power plant, being built in Aomori Prefecture.

Unit 3 of the Ohi nuclear power plant in Japan's Fukui Prefecture reached criticality this morning, operator Kansai Electric Power Company announced. The reactor - the sixth to be restarted after clearing the country's revised safety regulations - is expected to resume commercial operation early next month.

Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) aims to become an innovative global energy and technology company, according to its president, Tomoaki Kobayakawa. He stressed the company will continue providing strong support for the restoration of Fukushima.

Kyushu Electric Power Company today began loading fuel into the core of unit 3 at its Genkai nuclear power plant in Japan's Saga prefecture. The reactor, together with unit 4, is expected to be restarted later this year.

The loading of fuel assemblies into the core of unit 3 at the Ohi nuclear power plant in Japan's Fukui Prefecture will begin tomorrow, Kansai Electric Power Company announced. The utility plans to return both units 3 and 4 at the plant to commercial operation by mid-2018.

Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited has announced a further three-year delay in the schedule for completing the Rokkasho reprocessing plant and J-MOX mixed-oxide fuel fabrication plant. The delay is due to additional regulatory requirements.