Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) has restarted the 600MW unit No 1 at its Hirono thermal-power plant in Fukushima prefecture, Japan.

The operator idled the plant for maintenance after the 11 March 2011 earthquake, and the units 2 and 4 were also closed due to the disaster.

This is the second of the five units to resume operations after the quake, reports Reuters.

TEPCO plans to start producing full output of 3,800MW from the plant by restarting the other three units by the end of this month.