Japan’s TEPCO reactivates nuclear plant after 14 years
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) restarted operations on Wednesday at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s largest by output, after roughly 14 years offline.
The Niigata Prefecture plant, northwest of Tokyo, resumed activity after 7 p.m. local time. The restart had been scheduled for Tuesday, but a test revealed a faulty alarm during the removal of a control rod in the No. 6 reactor. The issue was corrected, and the Japanese Nuclear Regulatory Authority approved the restart.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is the 15th reactor in Japan to resume operations under stringent post-Fukushima safety standards. The plant initially went offline in March 2012 for inspection, and none of its seven reactors had operated due to tighter regulations following the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear disaster in 2011.
TEPCO acknowledged that about 60% of workers at the No. 6 and 7 reactors lack prior operational experience, raising safety concerns. To address this, staff have completed simulation exercises on-site and received training at other nuclear facilities.
The company plans to gradually increase output, sending power to the Tokyo area on a trial basis before beginning full commercial operations on February 26. “We will show through our deeds and results that we are putting safety first,” TEPCO said in a statement.
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