rki.news
TOKYO – Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on Wednesday restarted Reactor No. 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, marking the first TEPCO reactor to resume operation since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
The seven-unit complex, about 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, resumed operations shortly after 7 p.m. local time. TEPCO received approval from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority earlier Wednesday to conduct trial operations, after a one-day delay caused by an alarm malfunction during testing.
Despite mixed public opinion, Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi authorized the reactor in November, followed by approval from the prefectural assembly in December.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world’s largest nuclear power plant, can produce up to 8.2 gigawatts of electricity when operating at full capacity. It was among 54 reactors shut nationwide after TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi plant suffered core meltdowns following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
TEPCO’s restart reflects efforts to meet Japan’s energy demands while following stricter post-Fukushima safety standards, though public concerns about nuclear safety and disaster preparedness remain a key issue.