TOKYO (Reuters) - A court in Japan on Friday paved the way for Shikoku Electric Power Co to restart its only operable nuclear reactor, rejecting a lawsuit from residents to close the unit.

The decision allows the company to restart its Ikata No. 3 reactor on Saturday, after the Hiroshima High Court, in late September, lifted an injunction of December 2017 blocking operations of the 890-megawatt reactor.

In line with the High Court decision, the Hiroshima District Court in western Japan rejected the lawsuit filed by residents, most of them from the Hiroshima prefecture, the company said.

The reactor has been shut since October 2017 for scheduled maintenance. Other units at the site are set for decommissioning.