Japan has restarted the world’s largest nuclear power plant, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility, after an earlier attempt was halted due to a minor technical issue, operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said on Monday.
According to AFP, TEPCO confirmed in a statement that the massive complex, located in Niigata Prefecture, has been brought back online. The attempt marks the first restart effort since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, which triggered a nationwide shutdown of nuclear power facilities.
In January, TEPCO’s initial restart attempt was suspended when an alarm was triggered by a monitoring system. The alarm activation came as a precaution after detecting a slight fluctuation in electrical current in a cable—an issue TEPCO later said remained within safe limits. Engineers have since adjusted the alarm’s settings, and regulators have deemed the reactor safe to operate.
The Fukushima accident—caused by a powerful earthquake and tsunami—resulted in the meltdown of three reactors at the facility, prompting Japan to impose strict safety regulations and pause nearly all nuclear power production for years. Since then, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant has remained largely inactive.
However, Japan is once again turning toward nuclear energy as it seeks to cut dependence on fossil fuels, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and meet rising electricity demand driven in part by artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.
Newly re-elected conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has voiced strong support for nuclear power to sustain economic momentum. TEPCO officials said one of the plant’s seven reactors was restarted on January 21 but automatically shut down the next day due to the alarm.
Following safety checks and a full inspection, TEPCO expects the plant could begin commercial power generation on March 18 or later, pending final approvals.
Sources: AFP, The Japan Times.