Japan halts restart of world's largest nuclear plant after glitch
What's the story
Japan has suspended the restart of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world's largest by potential capacity. The decision was taken on Thursday, just a day after operations were resumed for the first time in nearly 14 years. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which operates the facility, said an alarm from the monitoring system went off during reactor startup procedures, prompting them to suspend operations.
Reactor status
Tepco confirms reactor stability amid restart suspension
TEPCO spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi assured that the reactor remains stable and poses no radioactive threat outside the facility. "An alarm from the monitoring system...sounded during the reactor startup procedures, and operations are currently suspended," he said. The company is now investigating what caused this alarm to go off, but has not provided a timeline for when operations might resume.
Delay details
Restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant delayed due to technical issue
The restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was initially scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, but was delayed due to a technical issue with a reactor alarm. This problem was resolved on Sunday, January 18, allowing operations to begin on Wednesday after receiving final approval from Japan's nuclear regulator. However, just hours into the process, another alarm caused operations to be suspended again, according to AFP.
Public sentiment
Public opinion divided over Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant's restart
The decision to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant has sparked a divided public opinion in Niigata province. A survey conducted in September found that around 60% of residents oppose the restart while 37% support it. This division was evident during protests outside the facility, where resident Yumiko Abe expressed concern over safety risks associated with supplying electricity to Tokyo from Kashiwazaki.
Petition submitted
Opposition groups petition against Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant's restart
Earlier this month, seven opposition groups submitted a petition with nearly 40,000 signatures to TEPCO and Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority. The petition highlighted concerns over the plant's location on an active seismic fault zone and its history of being struck by strong earthquakes. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was shut down in 2011 after the Fukushima disaster, which led Japan to halt nuclear power due to safety concerns.