Final Check Requested for TEPCO Kashiwazaki-Kariwa N-Reactor

Tokyo, Dec. 24 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. on Wednesday asked the Nuclear Regulation Authority to make a final check before the planned restart of operations at the No. 6 reactor of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in central Japan. After the completion of the preuse check, the final step before the restart, TEPCO will put the 1.35-million-kilowatt reactor in Niigata Prefecture back online on Jan. 20, 2026, according to President Tomoaki Kobayakawa. It will be the first restart of operations at a nuclear facility of TEPCO, whose Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant had an unprecedented triple meltdown in March 2011 following a massive earthquake and tsunami. There is a need to eliminate concerns among local residents over the restart of the No. 6 reactor of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, because a survey of locals has shown divided opinions on the issue. “We will keep in mind that we are the company responsible for the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant,” Kobayakawa said. “We will demonstrate through actions and achievements that we fulfill our mission of carrying through our responsibility to Fukushima Prefecture and ensuring stable supply of electricity.” The preuse check is conducted to confirm whether the facilities and equipment certified as meeting new regulatory standards in NRA screenings conform to their designs. If no problem is found, the NRA will give an approval for a test use, and then TEPCO will actually restart the reactor. The facility’s operations will shift from adjustment mode to commercial mode after final confirmation is made. At a regular press conference, NRA Chairman Shinsuke Yamanaka said, “We will continue to monitor TEPCO with a special eye.” He said he wants the company to put top priority to safety, noting that the reactor has been offline for an extended period. Since March 2012, all seven reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant remain halted. The No. 6 and No. 7 reactors passed NRA screenings in 2017. For the No. 6 unit, technical preparations finished in October this year. Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi announced his approval of the restart of the reactor Nov. 21. The prefectural assembly has endorsed his opinion. On Tuesday, the governor informed industry minister Ryosei Akazawa that all procedures to obtain local consent have been completed. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]