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Alarm Halts Japan's Just-Restarted Nuclear Reactor, Echoes of Fukushima Loom

Operations at the recently reactivated No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant were suspended after an alarm related to control rod equipment sounded. The plant's operator, TEPCO, stated it is investigating the incident, while regulators assured the reactor remains stable with no safety issues. This restart was TEPCO's first since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, but it faced delays due to a prior alarm during testing. The plant's reboot proceeded despite mixed local sentiment, having received approval from local authorities.

Key Points: Alarm Stops Japan's Restarted Nuclear Plant After Fukushima Hiatus

  • Alarm triggered at just-restarted reactor
  • Control rod equipment issue suspected
  • No abnormal radioactivity detected
  • Plant's first restart since 2011 Fukushima disaster
2 min read

Ops suspended at power company's just-restarted nuclear plant as alarm goes off

TEPCO suspends operations at a newly reactivated nuclear reactor after a control rod alarm sounds, raising safety questions post-Fukushima.

"The reactor is stable, adding that there are no safety problems - Nuclear Regulation Authority"

Tokyo, Jan 22

Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company said on Thursday it suspended operation at the just-restarted reactor of a nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture after an alarm went off.

The alarm was triggered at 00:28 a.m. local time after equipment to manoeuvre the control rods apparently had an issue, according to TEPCO.

TEPCO said it suspended work at reactor No. 6 to withdraw control rods, which are used to adjust the nuclear fission of a reactor, and it is looking into what happened at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said the reactor is stable, adding that there are no safety problems, reports Xinhua news agency.

No abnormal levels of radioactivity were detected around the world's biggest nuclear power station by capacity, according to the Niigata prefectural government.

The No. 6 reactor at the seven-unit complex was reactivated shortly after 7 p.m. local time on Wednesday, marking the first operated by TEPCO to go back online since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The reboot came a day later than initially planned, after a control-rod alarm also sounded during testing.

Earlier on Wednesday, TEPCO restarted the reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, marking the first operated by TEPCO to go back online since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Reactor No. 6 at the seven-unit complex, about 220 kilometres northwest of Tokyo, began its nuclear reaction shortly after 7 p.m. local time. The utility said it received approval from the country's Nuclear Regulation Authority to conduct trial operations earlier in the day.

TEPCO initially planned to bring the reactor back online on Tuesday, but had to postpone due to an alarm malfunction during a test operation.

Despite a survey showing that residents were split over the resumption, Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi gave the greenlight for plant restart last November, and the prefectural assembly followed up a month later.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the world's biggest nuclear power station capable of producing 8.2 gigawatts of electricity when at full capacity, was among 54 reactors shut following the March 2011 core meltdowns at TEPCO's tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Reading this while our own country is pushing for more nuclear plants. We need to learn from Japan's experiences. Their regulatory authority seems on top of it, suspending ops immediately. Hope our NPCIL is just as vigilant.
A
Aman W
It's good they are being transparent and halting operations. But the fact that the alarm went off during testing *and* after restart shows some underlying issue with the control rod system. Better safe than sorry, always.
S
Sarah B
As an expat living in India, this news is a reminder for all nations. Japan is a tech leader and still faces these glitches. For a country like India with massive energy needs, the balance between growth and safety is so critical.
V
Vikram M
The governor gave the green light despite split public opinion. Sounds familiar. In India too, local communities near proposed plants often have concerns. Public trust is as important as technical safety. 🙏
K
Karthik V
A respectful criticism: The article repeats the same point about it being the first restart since Fukushima multiple times. On the main issue, glad there's no radiation leak. Hope they fix it properly this time. Japan's reliability affects global perception of nuclear energy.

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