Japan temporarily shuts down major nuclear power plant following restart

Restart of No 6 reactor at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant suspended due to control rod malfunction

The restart of a reactor at Japan’s largest nuclear power plant, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, has been halted after a malfunction related to control rods. The Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) began the process on Wednesday, removing neutron-absorbing control rods from the core to initiate stable nuclear fission. However, the operation was suspended hours later due to an issue with the control rods.

The duration of the shutdown is currently unknown. TEPCO stated that there was no safety concern associated with the malfunction and is investigating the situation while suspending the restart operation. The company has put the reactor back into shutdown for further examination.

According to TEPCO, the reactor remains “stable” and there is no radioactive impact outside. Control rods are a crucial device used to regulate the nuclear chain reaction in the reactor core. The restart was initially scheduled for Tuesday but was delayed after another technical issue related to the removal of control rods was detected last weekend.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, located approximately 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, is the world’s largest nuclear power plant by potential capacity. It has been offline since the Fukushima disaster in 2011. TEPCO operates seven reactors at the facility, with only one reactor currently restarted. The restart of the No 6 reactor could generate an additional 1.35 million kilowatts of electricity.

Public opinion on the restart is divided, with approximately 60% of residents opposing it and 37% supporting it, according to a survey conducted in September.

Source: Al Jazeera