Japan’s biggest nuclear plant restarts second time after hiccup
Its power output will be stepped up gradually, with a goal of entering commercial operations on Mar 18
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[TOKYO] Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) restarted a reactor at the world’s biggest nuclear power plant on Monday (Feb 9), after an issue in January delayed the process.
The No 6 reactor at its Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant resumed at 2 pm local time, said the company’s spokesperson.
The unit’s power output will be gradually increased, with a goal of entering commercial operations on Mar 18. The utility was initially aiming for Feb 26 before the hiccup.
This was the second restart in just over two weeks. The reactor had restarted on Jan 21, but an issue forced the firm to halt the process a day later. There was an electrical problem in the panel that was used to operate and monitor the unit’s control rods.
Tepco, the operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant that suffered a meltdown accident in 2011, is facing public scrutiny as it sets out to safely bring the Kashiwazaki Kariwa plant back online.
Its resumption also comes as the Japanese government looks to re-embrace atomic energy in an effort to curb carbon emissions, cut expensive fossil fuel imports and secure a stable source of power to meet the rising demand for electricity.
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After the first aborted restart on Jan 21, the company conducted further investigations, and found issues with a misinterpretation of the electric current of a motor in a control panel.
At a press conference on Feb 6, Takeyuki Inagaki, the superintendent of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa facility, said he believed that it was his responsibility to shut the plant and conduct a deeper investigation into the issue.
He added that the company will proceed with each step of the restart carefully.
Kashiwazaki Kariwa is Tepco’s only remaining operable nuclear facility. Reactor No 6 is one of seven reactors at the site, and the first to be restarted. The No 7 reactor has also received approval from the nation’s nuclear regulator to come back online. BLOOMBERG
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