Overview
- TEPCO brought the No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant back online at 2:00 p.m. local time on Feb. 9 after an aborted attempt in January.
- An internal investigation found the inverter was functioning and an overly sensitive alarm caused the halt, leading engineers to adjust the alarm settings.
- Operators plan to withdraw all 205 control rods to reach criticality, then proceed to turbine startup and trial power generation with interim inspections.
- Commercial operation is targeted for on or after March 18 following a comprehensive check if the staged power-up proceeds without issues.
- The site, the world's largest nuclear complex, has added a 15-metre tsunami wall and elevated emergency power systems, as local surveys show about 60% oppose the restart even as the government champions nuclear under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.