Tokyo, July 7 (IANS): For the first time since Japan established stricter nuclear safety criteria following the Fukushima accident, the operator of Sendai nuclear plant began to refuel its reactor 1, scheduled for reactivation in August.

According to a spokesperson of Kyushu Electric Power, the operator of the plant, loading of all the 157 fuel rod bundles of the reactor have begun and would take four days to complete. This is the first nuclear plant to reactivate after Fukushima, Efe news agency reported.

After refuelling, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority will conduct an on-site inspection before it can begin operations in August.

The government and electric companies in the country have pushed for reactivation of plants that comply with the new safety standards as the cost of producing electricity from fossil fuels, which Japan has to import, has been rising.

However, surveys say most Japanese are against returning to nuclear energy, owing to fears of another nuclear accident.