Kansai Electric Power will start a survey early this month to assess whether it can build a new nuclear reactor in or near its Mihama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, sources said Monday.

The survey will mark the first concrete move toward nuclear reactor construction in Japan since the March 2011 meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 plant.

Kansai Electric will announce soon when the survey will begin.