Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has delayed the planned restart of Reactor 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwanuclear power plant, the world’s largest, after an alarm malfunction occurred during equipment testing, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported.
The power plant located in Niigata Prefecture and covering anarea of 4.2 square kilometers, consists of seven reactors with a combined capacity of 8.2 gigawatts. It has been shut down since 2012 following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, The Guardian reported.
Tepco said that restarting the reactor would increase electricity supply in the Tokyo metropolitan area by approximately two percent. The Japanese government sees a return to nuclear energy as a key strategy for reducing emissions and strengthening energy security.
This move marks a milestone in Japan’s gradual return to nuclear power – a strategy the government claims will help the country meet its emissions reduction targets and enhance energy security.
However, for the approximately 420,000 people living within a 30-kilometre radius of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, who would be required to evacuate in the event of an accident similar to Fukushima, Tepco’s return to nuclear power raises serious concerns. Ryusuke Yoshida is also one of the residents whose home is located less than 2.5 km from the plant in the quiet village of Kariwa. When asked what worries him most about the restart, the 76-year-old simply answered: “Everything.”
The power plant, situated on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Niigata Prefecture, covering an area of 4.2 square kilometers, is the largest nuclear power facility in the world.
Local residents have voiced concerns over safety issues and inadequate evacuation plans. A survey conducted by the prefectural government found that more than 60 percent of residents living within 30 km of the plant believe that the necessary conditions for restarting the facility have not yet been met.
The plant was previously damaged during a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in July 2007, when the reactors were automatically shut down. Critics also warn about the presence of seismic faults in the area surrounding the facility, while several local officials note that it is impossible to guarantee absolute safety.
The restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa represents a milestone in Japan’s energy policy, but it has sparked strong opposition from local communities and raised broader questions about public trust in the nuclear industry.
Tepco says it has learned lessons from the Fukushima disaster and earlier this year promised to invest 100 billion yen in Niigata Prefecture over the next decade in an effort to gain local support.
