Japan has paused the restart of its largest nuclear power plant just one day after it came online for the first time in over 14 years. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility, located in Niigata province, had been shut down since the devastating Fukushima disaster in 2011. However, operations to relaunch the plant were finally approved by the nuclear regulator on Wednesday.
However, an alarm sounded during the reactor startup procedures on Thursday, causing the restart to be halted. The operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), has expressed uncertainty about when the issue will be resolved. According to Takeyuki Inagaki, site superintendent, "We don't expect this to be solved within a day or two... There is no telling at the moment how long it will take."
Inagaki added that the team would focus on identifying the cause of the alarm, which was triggered by an issue with control rods - devices used to regulate the nuclear chain reaction in the reactor core. The company has assured that there is no radioactive impact outside the plant and that the reactor is stable.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility holds significant importance for Japan's energy future, as it represents a major step towards reducing reliance on fossil fuels and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. However, public opinion in Niigata remains divided, with some residents strongly opposing the restart due to concerns about safety and seismic activity.
Just days ago, seven groups opposed to the restart submitted a petition signed by nearly 40,000 people to Tepco and Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, citing the plant's location on an active fault zone and its vulnerability to earthquakes. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen when operations will resume at the world's largest nuclear power plant.
However, an alarm sounded during the reactor startup procedures on Thursday, causing the restart to be halted. The operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), has expressed uncertainty about when the issue will be resolved. According to Takeyuki Inagaki, site superintendent, "We don't expect this to be solved within a day or two... There is no telling at the moment how long it will take."
Inagaki added that the team would focus on identifying the cause of the alarm, which was triggered by an issue with control rods - devices used to regulate the nuclear chain reaction in the reactor core. The company has assured that there is no radioactive impact outside the plant and that the reactor is stable.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility holds significant importance for Japan's energy future, as it represents a major step towards reducing reliance on fossil fuels and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. However, public opinion in Niigata remains divided, with some residents strongly opposing the restart due to concerns about safety and seismic activity.
Just days ago, seven groups opposed to the restart submitted a petition signed by nearly 40,000 people to Tepco and Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, citing the plant's location on an active fault zone and its vulnerability to earthquakes. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen when operations will resume at the world's largest nuclear power plant.
Like what happened last time is a big deal right? I mean Fukushima was super bad news... how many people died from that? 
Also, I saw some anime once where they had a nuclear plant and it got all melty and stuff... did Japan really go through that? 
they pause the restart of japan's biggest nuke plant like RIGHT AFTER it comes online!!! 
i know it's been shut down since '11 but now it's finally back on 
and then BAM alarm goes off again... 
what's goin on?!? 
toko electric power co is all worried and stuff saying they don't no when it'll get fixed 
but public opinion in niigata is divided lol some people are pro restart while others r anti 
like, can we just stay calm and wait for the experts to figure it out? 
It's like, can't we just get some stability here? 
... let alone the nuclear aspect 
. I know Japan's trying to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and all that, but come on... 14 years without this plant online? 
Not good, not good at all. I can see why some people are opposed to the restart, especially given the location of the plant on an active fault zone... it's a ticking time bomb 
waiting to happen.
. And now they're trying to reopen this massive reactor without proper checks? 
It's just too soon, you know? They need to take their time and make sure everything is solid before they go ahead with this. Can't have them rushing into things like that... 
I'm kinda surprised that they had to pause it just a day after starting up again... 14 years is a looong time, right? 
They've been working on restarting that reactor for like forever and now it's paused again because of some alarm that sounds like a giant warning bell 
. And the thing is, even if they figure out what went wrong, there are still people who are super opposed to it in Niigata 
still waiting for the safety guarantees that'll put my mind at ease... not gonna hold my breath 
I mean, what a perfect start to 2025 - first day back from the dead and then you hit some snags 
. But seriously folks, a 40k signature on that petition? That's like getting nearly as many signatures for "Save the cat from the bathtub" 
. I guess some people just want their cats safe and sound 
, while others are more concerned about saving the world from nuclear meltdowns 
.
like they're not gonna make a total mess of things...again 
fingers crossed they can figure out whats going on & get it back online without any major incidents 
... can't they even get one reactor online without a hiccup? I mean, 14 years is a looong time, so I'm sure it's not like they've forgotten how to do it 
. I guess they really can't stress enough that there's no radioactive impact outside... because who needs transparency when you're trying to restart a nuclear plant? 
Anyway, can we just get some answers from Tepco already? Like, what's going on with these control rods? 
Anyway, I guess you can never be too careful when it comes to nuclear stuff. Better safe than sorry, right? 
