The restart of the world's largest nuclear power plant has been abruptly suspended in Japan, mere hours after operations resumed, casting uncertainty over the nation's nuclear energy revival plans. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, which had been idle since the catastrophic 2011 Fukushima disaster, began restart procedures on Wednesday following final regulatory approval, only to be halted on Thursday due to a technical alarm.
Technical Alarm Forces Immediate Shutdown
Tokyo Electric Power Company, the plant's operator, reported that an alarm from the monitoring system sounded during the reactor startup procedures, prompting an immediate suspension of operations. Takeyuki Inagaki, the site superintendent, stated at a news conference that resolving the issue is not expected to be quick. "We don't expect this to be solved within a day or two. There is no telling at the moment how long it will take. We will for now fully focus on trying to identify the cause of what happened," he explained.
Investigation into Electrical Equipment Malfunction
TEPCO spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi revealed that the alarm led engineers to investigate malfunctioning electrical equipment. "Once it became clear that it would take time, we decided to reinsert the control rods in a planned manner," he said, assuring that the reactor "is stable and there is no radioactive impact outside." Control rods are critical components that regulate the nuclear chain reaction in a reactor core, with withdrawal accelerating the process and insertion slowing or stopping it.
This setback follows a previous delay from Tuesday, caused by a separate technical issue related to rod removal detected last weekend. TEPCO had resolved that problem by Sunday, January 18, but the latest alarm has further complicated the restart timeline.
Background and Significance of the Plant
Located in Niigata prefecture, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility is the largest nuclear power station globally by potential capacity, although only one of its seven reactors was involved in this restart attempt. The plant was taken offline when Japan suspended all nuclear power nationwide after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Japan, which lacks abundant natural energy resources, has been pushing to revive nuclear power to:
- Reduce dependence on fossil fuels
- Meet rising electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence technologies
- Achieve carbon neutrality by 2050
This restart marks the first attempt by a TEPCO-run unit since 2011, as the company continues decommissioning work at the Fukushima Daiichi site.
Public Opposition and Safety Concerns
Public opinion in Niigata remains deeply divided over the plant's restart. A September survey indicated that approximately 60 percent of residents oppose the restart, while only 37 percent support it. Yumiko Abe, a 73-year-old resident, voiced her concerns during a protest outside the plant this week: "It's Tokyo's electricity that is produced in Kashiwazaki, so why should the people here be put at risk? That makes no sense."
Earlier this month, seven opposition groups submitted a petition signed by nearly 40,000 people to TEPCO and Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority. They argued that the plant sits on an active seismic fault zone and cited damage from a strong earthquake that struck the area in 2007, highlighting ongoing safety apprehensions.
The suspension underscores the challenges Japan faces in balancing energy needs with public safety and environmental goals, as the nation navigates its post-Fukushima nuclear policy.
