Japan Reactivates Globe's Most Powerful Nuclear Plant
The massive 8.2-gigawatt Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex in Niigata Prefecture, housing seven reactors, has stood dormant since 2012 following the tsunami-triggered Fukushima Daiichi catastrophe.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa employs identical boiling water reactor technology as the crippled Fukushima plant and operates under the same utility—Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The restart represents the operator's first reactor brought back online since the 2011 accident.
Safety Concerns Delayed Decade-Long Revival
The facility—Earth's largest nuclear installation when fully operational—remained shuttered after routine 2012 maintenance amid intense public safety anxieties following Fukushima and widespread skepticism about TEPCO's operational competence.
Tuesday's planned restart hit complications when a control-rod alarm malfunctioned during final testing. The No. 6 reactor achieved criticality Wednesday after TEPCO confirmed to nuclear regulators that a conclusive control rod inspection had been successfully completed earlier in the day.
Government Pushes Nuclear Renaissance
This activation marks the 15th reactor restart since Fukushima among Japan's 33 operational nuclear units, as Tokyo aggressively pursues expanded nuclear energy reliance.
The restart, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was delayed after a last-minute control-rod alarm malfunction occurred during a test.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
