Power Cable Connected to No. 2 Reactor, Aiding Bid to Start Cooling System

Workers have finished connecting the power cable to the No. 2 reactor at the Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, northern Japan, said Hidehiko Nishiyama, a deputy director general for the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.

Workers will begin work on restoring power to the cooling system of the reactor tomorrow morning, Nishiyama said during a press conference in Tokyo. The power would also be restored to the No. 1 reactor’s cooling system.

“This is an important step,” Nishiyama said.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. employees worked through the night to complete the connection after the cooling systems of the reactors were damaged by the earthquake and the tsunami that struck the region March 11. Troops and firefighters sprayed water on the reactors in an attempt to cool them down until power could be restored.

For now, workers will continue to spray water on the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors, he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Pavel Alpeyev in Tokyo at palpeyev@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Brian Fowler at bfowler4@bloomberg.net