The restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant in Japan was halted on Thursday (Jan 22), just hours after the process began, although the reactor remains stable, its operator said.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) had begun restarting one reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata late Wednesday, marking its first reactor restart since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. However, operations were suspended after an alarm was triggered during startup procedures.
TEPCO spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi said the reactor is stable and there has been no release of radioactive material. The company is investigating the cause of the alarm and has not given a timeline for resuming operations.
The restart had already been delayed once due to a separate technical issue detected last weekend, which TEPCO said was resolved before the latest attempt.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is the world’s largest nuclear plant by capacity, though only one of its seven reactors was being restarted. The plant was shut down after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that caused meltdowns at Fukushima Daiichi.
Japan is now seeking to revive nuclear power to cut fossil fuel use, meet rising energy demand and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, public opinion in Niigata remains divided, with many residents opposing the restart due to safety concerns and seismic risks.
