The operator of a nuclear power plant northeast of Tokyo is expected to further delay the complete implementation of stricter safety measures.

Sources say the Japan Atomic Power Company, which operates the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, has decided to reschedule the completion date for the work that is being done to build a tsunami and storm surge barrier.

The move comes after defects were found in the foundation of the levee that the company has been constructing as part of safety measures against disasters.

The nuclear power plant has been offline since a powerful earthquake and tsunami hit northeast Japan in 2011.
The plant's operator informed the Nuclear Regulation Authority earlier this month that it plans to carry out additional work on a large scale to reinforce internal parts of the structure and the grounds around it. But the operator noted that it will leave the foundation as it is.

The company planned to complete the work by September of this year, but it now expects the work to be finished by December, 2026.

If the work is delayed, it will be the third time that the operator has rescheduled the completion date since the nuclear regulator approved an assessment for the Tokai No. 2 plant in 2018.

The regulator's approval is one of the preconditions set out for the plant to be put back online.

The Japanese government considers Tokai No. 2 to be one of the nuclear power plants in the country that needs to be brought back online in order to meet electricity demands and ensure energy security.