The Japanese Government has announced its intention to restart Units 6 and 7 at the Tepco-operated Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant located in the Niigata prefecture of central Japan The Government said it will discuss the additional measures needed to restart the two units but has not yet given a schedule both 1,356 MW advanced boiling water reactors began commercial operation in 1996 and 1997 respectively All seven units at the plant were put offline following the 2007 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake Tepco had applied to Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) for a restart as early as 2013 Tepco originally received permission from the NRA to restart the units in 2017 the company notified the NRA of malfunctions on the site the Japanese parliament enacted a law to allow nuclear reactors in Japan to operate beyond their current limit of 60 years in order to help cut greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a sufficient energy supply Japan’s reliance on nuclear power was reduced following the Fukushima accident dropping from 25% of the power mix in 2010 to 1% in 2015 there were 54 reactors spread over 17 power plants (49 GW in 2010 against 33 GW in 2023 Enerdata's premium online information service provides up-to-date market reports on 110+ countries The reports include valuable market data and analysis as well as a daily newsfeed This user-friendly tool gives you the essentials about the domestic markets of your concern Register now to subscribe to our informative monthly Company cites issues with scale of construction and labour shortages Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has delayed the restart of Units 7 and 6 at Japan’s Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear station to 2029 and 2031 respectively citing setbacks in completing required anti-terrorism measures due to struggles with the scale of construction and labour shortages The two units were originally scheduled to resume operations in October 2025 and September 2026 Taking steps against terrorist threats and implementing additional safety and security measures became mandatory under stricter safety standards implemented after the 2011 nuclear accident at Fukushima-Daiichi triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami disaster Kashiwazaki Kariwa is one of the world’s largest nuclear power stations According to the International Atomic Energy Agency its seven boiling water reactor units have a combined net capacity of 7,965 MW Kashiwazaki Kariwa served as an important energy source to supply electricity to the Tokyo metropolitan area before the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster at Fukushima-Daiichi in northeastern Japan Tepco wants to bring the station back online and said in 2020 it was concentrating its resources on restarting the newer Units 6 and 7 which originally began commercial operation in 1996 and 1997 respectively Before the Fukushima disaster Japan’s fleet of 54 nuclear plants generated about 30% of the country’s electricity but were all shut down for safety checks following the accident Among the 33 operable nuclear reactors in Japan 12 have now resumed operations after meeting post-Fukushima safety standards Economy minister Yoji Muto said recently that Japan will need to maximise the use of existing nuclear power plants as AI and data centres are expected to boost electricity demand Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) said it plans to restart a reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP in Niigata Prefecture in the fiscal year 2025 According to changes made to Tepco’s business plan the restart of the reactor is expected to boost its earnings by around JPY100bn ($672 m) a year Tepco had sought to carry out a drastic review of its business plan in the current fiscal year but the latest changes were provisional as it is still unclear when the company will be able to gain approval to bring the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant back online According to a newly released earnings forecast Tepco and its four core subsidiaries are expected to post a net profit of JPY57.2bn in the current fiscal year ending this month This compares with a net profit projection of PY113.7bn in the year ending March 2026 when the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant is expected to be restarted Although Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was unaffected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami all seven of the plant’s reactors had been offline for two to three years following the earlier 2007 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake Work has since been carried out to improve the plant’s earthquake resistance Tepco applied for Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approval of its design and construction plan for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa units 6&7 (1,356 MWe advanced boiling water reactors) in September 2013 These were the first Japanese boiling water reactors to be considered for restart after all Japan’s reactors were shut down in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in 2011 NRA cleared safety screenings for the two units in 2017 but security breaches and problems in completing safety upgrades caused delays NRA prohibited the transportation or loading of reactor fuel stored at the plant in April 2021 due to insufficient counter-terrorism measures NRA confirmed that those measures had been taken and preparations for restart continued the mayor of Kashiwazaki in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture indicated his willingness to approve the restart of two reactors (units 6&7) at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP “We have reached a stage where we can accept a possible request for reactivation,” Masahiro Sakurai said during a meeting with Tepco President Tomoaki Kobayakawa Kobayakawa formally told the mayor of Tepco’s plans to decide on possible decommissioning of some of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa’s units 1-5 two years after the restart of units 6&7 Tepco began loading nuclear fuel into the reactor at unit 7 the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant after NRA granted approval Tepco suspended fuel loading because of an equipment problem Tepco said in a statement that there were no safety-related issues but no further details were provided Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the Progressive Media network © Business Trade Media International Limited Interested in how redox flow battery technology is being applied in other real-world projects? Discover more case studies to learn about innovative solutions in renewable energy storage, grid stability, and more. See how industries around the globe are benefiting from this cutting-edge technology. Inspired by the success of our redox flow battery projects? Let’s explore how this innovative technology can transform your energy strategy. Contact us today to discuss tailored solutions that meet your energy storage needs, enhance grid stability, and promote sustainability. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world 2025 at 5:00 PM ESTBookmarkSaveAfter more than a decade of inactivity Japan’s biggest nuclear power plant is ready to restart — but it faces an indefinite wait The Kashiwazaki Kariwa plant on the country’s western coast essentially has all but one of the necessary approvals to start producing power. Regulators and international nuclear officials are a go, but without a green light from the local governor, the Tokyo Electric Power Co.-owned plant is stuck in limbo International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station on February 18 it is one of the Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) nuclear facilities Grossi declared that preparations had reached the stage where the facility was ready to restart operations Also, on February 18, Japan's 7th Strategic Energy Plan was approved at a Cabinet meeting Nuclear power generation is a main pillar of that plan.  Grossi said he was convinced that TEPCO had made great progress in ensuring safety and nuclear security Coming from the head of an international organization whose mission is the peaceful use of nuclear energy his timely message should be taken seriously Reactors 6 and 7 of the nuclear power station have been shut down since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 They have now passed safety inspections by the Nuclear Regulation Authority Reactor No 7 completed the fuel loading process in April 2024 Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi has not yet given his consent which is necessary for the reactor to restart Governor Hanazumi's cautious stance may be motivated by his desire to gauge prefecture residents' sentiment on the restart he is taking far too much time to make his decision Niigata's own technical committee has been independently verifying the safety measures at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station It also submitted a report to the governor on February 12 stating that most of the 22 items confirmed to date have shown no problems The No 7 reactor at the nuclear power station is a state-of-the-art advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) with improved structural safety it has one of the largest generating capacities in Japan Restarting that reactor would also ease power supply pressures in the Tokyo region and extreme heat threaten the capital's functions the restart would help improve TEPCO's business situation that will directly contribute to supporting the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station It will also support the reconstruction of nearby areas affected by the 2011 disaster Some question why Niigata residents should support restarting nuclear power stations in Niigata when they would produce electricity used elsewhere But isn't that a narrow-minded way of looking at things Will they also ignore the calls from the local city of Kashiwazaki and village of Kariwa for the early restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station These two communities are the local governments in the prefecture with the closest connection to the nuclear power facilities This is the age of heavy energy-using artificial intelligence Offering the availability of nuclear power as a stable carbon-free energy source is essential for attracting new businesses We urge Governor Hanazumi to make a forward-looking decision. That requires taking into account both the interests in Niigata Prefecture and Japan's national interests. In turn, this requires considering the international situation regarding energy security Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Tepco applied for Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approval of its design and construction plan for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa units 6 and 7 in September 2013 It submitted information on safety upgrades across the site and at those two units These 1356 MWe Advanced Boiling Water Reactors began commercial operation in 1996 and 1997 and were the first Japanese boiling water reactors to be put forward for restart Tepco received permission from the NRA to restart units 6 and 7 the company notified the NRA of malfunctions in intruder detection equipment on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa site it reported the unauthorised use of an ID card the NRA issued an administrative order to Tepco prohibiting it from moving nuclear fuel at the plant until improvements in security measures there have been confirmed by additional inspections This order was lifted in December last year after inspections confirmed that measures had been enhanced at the site Additional regulatory inspections will still be required before Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 7 - which has been offline since August 2011 - can resume operation consent must also be sought from the local governor Although the central government has been seeking Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi's approval for the restart he has yet to announce whether he will give his consent Speaking at a GX (Green Transformation) Executive Council meeting on 27 August Kishida - who will step down next month - said: "I will do my best to advance GX one step at a time during the remaining time of my term One of these is preparations for the restart of nuclear power plants in eastern Japan." He noted that since the March 2011 accident at Tepco's Fukushima Daiichi plant "eastern Japan has relied on nearly 70% of its electricity from thermal power plants concentrated in Tokyo Bay and along the Pacific coast making it vulnerable to disaster risks" he said "a disparity in electricity rates has also emerged between the east and west of Japan where nuclear power generation is progressing" Kishida continued: "With the primary premise of ensuring safety we will respond to the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant which complies with the new regulatory standards in accordance with our policy of restarting the plant only after gaining the understanding of the local community "In order to achieve restart with the understanding of the local community the operator and the government must respond together taking into account the requests from the local community we will hold a nuclear power-related ministerial meeting next week attended by all the ministers involved in the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant to confirm and give instructions for concrete measures to be taken." Although it has completed work at the other idled units at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Tepco is concentrating its resources on units 6 and 7 while it deals with the clean-up at Fukushima Daiichi Restarting those two units - which have been offline for periodic inspections since March 2012 and August 2011 respectively - would increase the company's earnings by an estimated JPY100 billion (USD692 million) per year (Bloomberg) -- Japan should accelerate its efforts to revive some of the country’s dormant nuclear power plants to meet growing demand for electricity according to the head of the International Energy Agency “The restart of nuclear power plants is critical,” Fatih Birol executive director of the Paris-based intergovernmental organization Birol spoke following a tour on Wednesday of Kashiwazaki Kariwa which was shuttered in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima meltdown along with the rest of Japan’s nuclear capacity He plans to reiterate that message in meetings this week with officials including Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba “I feel really bad that a country I really love but other nuclear power plants in Japan will come back has said the facility is largely ready to resume operations but last month announced that it would delay until August 2029 the construction of required anti-terrorism equipment pushing back any potential plans to restart the site Nuclear power supplied about a third of Japan’s electricity before the 2011 catastrophe but all 54 of the nation’s reactors were taken offline after the meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant The country’s nuclear regulator has designated 33 reactors as operable said this week that it may restart one of its reactors in 2027 Japan revised its national energy strategy in February announcing that it would encourage increased use of nuclear power That’s a reversal from its earlier position introduced in 2014 to reduce reliance on reactors It’s a shift that’s welcomed by Birol as demand for electricity is climbing around the world “It foresees that nuclear must play an important role,” Birol said at the event organized by the Institute of Energy Economics By subscribing, you agree to the processing of your personal data by dmg events as described in the Privacy Policy. In the next episode of the Energy Connects podcast Chiranjib Sengupta sat down with Gauri Singh Deputy Director-General of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) In an exclusive Energy Connects studio discussion Chiranjib Sengupta sat down with Nobuo Tanaka Executive Director Emeritus of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the… In the next episode of the Energy Connects podcast ahead of Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition One of the idle nuclear reactors at a power plant in Japan's Niigata Prefecture is set to face a prolonged delay in its restart as the operator is likely to fail to complete the required anti-terrorism measures by the October deadline sources close to the matter said Wednesday 7 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant as soon as possible has been postponed until 2029 due to a shortage of construction workers which has hindered the development of necessary facilities such as a backup control room for each reactor the Nuclear Regulation Authority prohibited the transportation and loading of reactor fuel stored at the plant on the Sea of Japan coast due to insufficient counterterrorism measures ordering the utility to take corrective action The de facto ban on one of the world's largest nuclear plants by output was lifted in 2023 which supplies electricity to the Tokyo metropolitan area and surrounding regions after taking steps to ensure its safety and security The operator is expected to report its plans to the nuclear watchdog on Thursday Court rules against suspension of nuclear units in southwestern Japan China joins water sample analysis at Japan nuclear plant for 1st time To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Today's print edition Home Delivery Glinting in the sun by the world's biggest nuclear plant But as the huge facility gears up to restart Japan pulled the plug on nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima disaster but with the Group of Seven's dirtiest energy mix and atomic energy is making a steady comeback in part because of artificial intelligence.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); At the 400-hectare (1,000-acre) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant the 15-meter (50-foot) wall is just one measure to prevent another catastrophe and reassure the public and Japan's jittery neighbors In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Tepco also hoping to start fuel loading at Unit 6 this summer The mayor of Kashiwazaki in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture has reportedly indicated his willingness to approve the restart of two reactors (units 6&7) at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP “We have reached a stage where we can accept a possible request for reactivation,” Masahiro Sakurai said during a meeting with Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) President Tomoaki Kobayakawa Kobayakawa formally told the mayor of TEPCO’s plans to decide on possible decommissioning of some of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa’s units 1-5 two years after the restart of units 6&7 Work has since been carried out to improve the plant’s earthquake resistance TEPCO applied for Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approval of its design and construction plan for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa units 6&7 (1,356 MWe advanced boiling water reactors) in September 2013 NRA prohibited the transportation or loading of reactor fuel stored at the plant in April 2021 due to insufficient counterterrorism measures In TEPCO’s 2019 plan presented to Kashiwazaki city including possible decommissioning of at least one of the plant’s reactors within five years of units 6&7 being restarted TEPCO hopes that offering to decommission some more reactors earlier than planned will help it win local support for the restart of the units 6&7) View all newsletters from across the Progressive Media network. © Business Trade Media International Limited. All Rights Reserved 2025 2025 at 8:35 PM ESTBookmarkSaveTokyo Electric Power Co slumped the most in almost five months after the utility said it would delay upgrades at reactors risking to push back plans to restart the world’s biggest nuclear power plant The company will postpone until August 2029 construction of anti-terrorism equipment at its Kashiwazaki Kariwa power plant that’s required to restart the Unit 7 reactor Tepco had previously planned to finish the project by next month The operator of a nuclear power plant in central Japan on Tuesday shipped spent fuel to the country's first interim storage facility sent 69 spent fuel assemblies from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture by ship The fuel will be delivered to the interim storage facility in Mutsu With capacity at spent fuel pools at the plant's No TEPCO plans to transfer two containers that can hold 138 fuel assemblies and five containers with 345 assemblies from the plant to the interim storage facility in fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026 set up with joint investment from TEPCO and Japan Atomic Power Co. can store up to 5,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel for up to 50 years But there are concerns that the storage period will be exceeded as a nuclear fuel recycling plant due to be built in Rokkasho The storage facility is expected to begin operations in late October following inspections by the Nuclear Regulation Authority There were 13,752 spent fuel assemblies kept at the Nos 1-7 reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa before the shipment accounting for over 80 percent of the spent fuel pools' capacity the spent fuel pools were at over 90 percent capacity China to resume Japan seafood imports, join water release monitoring Japan PM hosts meeting to launch grouping on nuclear disarmament IAEA says Fukushima soil recycling plan meets safety standards Uncertainty remains over when approval will be granted by Japan’s regulator The Japanese government has agreed to improve the evacuation procedure at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings’ (Tepco’s) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP in Niigata Prefecture Local media said the move is intended to gain the understanding of local residents for a restart of the plant before Prime Minister Fumio Kishida steps down this autumn “It’s increasingly important to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant” due to the fragile power supply structure in eastern Japan “I want related ministers to work closely to promote understanding for the restart and take more concrete measures,” he added noting the government’s intention to strengthen its involvement The government also decided to establish a new framework to discuss ways to develop evacuation roads without imposing financial burdens on the Niigata prefectural government The prefecture had asked the central government to strengthen disaster management measures for the plant following Noto Peninsula earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture in January Yoji Moto calls for country to strengthen its nuclear energy industry Japan will need to maximise the use of existing nuclear power plants as AI and data centres are expected to boost electricity demand indicating no major shift in policy under newly appointed prime minister Shigeru Ishiba It is natural for Japan to pursue both nuclear and renewable energy to meet growing energy demand without increasing carbon emissions who was appointed to the role on Tuesday (1 October) Muto said the new administration will plan restarting as many reactors as possible so long as they are safe He also said that Japan will need to protect its nuclear industry by developing next-generation reactors The government is in the process of revising its energy plan that will dictate the power mix which is currently 70% fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal Muto’s comments point to a continuation of former prime minister Fumio Kishida’s policy that moved Japan back towards nuclear energy as a major power source Ishiba had said during his campaign that Japan should reduce its dependence on nuclear energy but later said that he would support the restart of existing plants Kishida said before he left office that he was working on plans to restart units at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (Tepco) Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power station the world’s biggest nuclear station with seven units and a net installed capacity of about 7,965 MW has been offline since 2012 pending safety checks after the 2011 Fukushima disaster Before the Fukushima disaster in 2011 Japan’s fleet of 54 nuclear plants generated about 30% of the country’s electricity According to the International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear generated about 6.1% of the country’s electricity in 2022 The Tokyo-based Japan Atomic Industry Forum said recently that the fleet generated 81 TWh of electric power in 2023 International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi has expressed his support for increasing Japan’s nuclear capacity and offered Japan technical assistance as its bids to restart Kashiwazaki Kariwa Seven-unit nuclear station has been offline since 2011 Fukushima disaster Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said Monday it now aims to restart a reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture in the fiscal year 2025 According to changes made to the power utility's business plan the restart of the reactor is expected to boost its earnings by around ¥100 billion ($672 million) per year.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Tepco and its four core subsidiaries are expected to post a net profit of ¥57.2 billion in the current fiscal year ending this month This compares to a net profit projection of ¥113.7 billion in the year through March 2026 Tepco also called for an increase in state financial aid in light of larger compensation payments linked to the triple meltdown of its Fukushima No the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced a revision to the construction schedule for emergency response buildings at Units 6 and 7 of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plants The buildings are permanent backup facilities to be used in the event of an intentional aircraft strike or terrorist attack and referred to as “specified safety facilities.” the facilities for Unit 6 will be completed five years later than originally scheduled—in September 2031 rather than in September 2026—while those for Unit 7 will be completed around four and half years later than originally planned in September 2029 rather than in March 2025 At a press conference held on the same day the site director of Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs explained that it was difficult to predict the completion timeline for the facilities as it was an unprecedented and highly large-scale construction project He also pointed out such challenges as the volume of construction work and labor shortages while emphasizing that the work would continue The emergency response buildings are a regulatory requirement under Japan’s new nuclear safety standards They will serve as backup systems to prevent reactor containment vessel damage in case of large-scale destruction caused by an intentional aircraft collision or similar attacks rendering a wide range of equipment unusable A five-year grace period is put in place after the work plan for the installation is approved so the installation deadlines were initially set at October 2025 for Unit 6 and September 2029 for Unit 7 specific details regarding the construction of these facilities have not been disclosed fuel loading has already been completed at Unit 7 Inagaki stated that Unit 7 is technically ready for operation since it has met the new regulatory standards for severe accident response facilities and passed the review by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) he also stressed the importance of thorough functional testing and safety verification during the upcoming trial operation Inagaki further emphasized the critical role of nuclear power in ensuring a stable electricity supply for the country “Japan’s balance of electricity supply and demand—which remains tight throughout the year— is particularly severe during the period of summer peak demand where most nuclear power plants (NPPs) remain offline with only a limited number in operation.” Regarding the restart of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs he reaffirmed TEPCO’s commitment to engaging with the local community “Restarting operations will only be possible with the understanding of local residents We will continue to make every effort to provide thorough explanations to gain their support.” the decision of the governor of Niigata Prefecture regarding the restart of Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs remains a key issue The prefectural technical committee has submitted a report to the governor stating that there are no major concerns regarding most of the 22 verification points related to disaster prevention measures following the TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident of March 2011 A hearing with relevant administrative bodies by the Niigata Prefectural Assembly is expected to take place in March Niigata Prefectural Assembly Rejects Ordinance Requiring Referendum on Kashiwazaki Kariwa Restart Japan’s Restarted Nuclear Plants Achieve 80.5% Capacity Factor in FY24 【The 58th JAIF Annual Conference】 Envisioning the Future of the Nuclear Industry with Students 【58th JAIF Annual Conference】Supply Chain Challenges and Solutions: Lessons from International Case Studies 【The 58th JAIF Annual Conference】 Challenges of New Nuclear Construction Discussed with European Examples Japan’s NRA Approves Draft Review of Dry Storage Facilities at Takahama and Onagawa NPPs Nuclear Energy Subcommittee Discusses Approval of Extending NPP Operation Beyond 60 Years JAEA Develops Storage Battery Using Depleted Uranium Copyright © JAPAN ATOMIC INDUSTRIAL FORUM Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said Thursday that it has abandoned a plan to complete by the October 2025 deadline an antiterrorism facility for the No 7 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture told a press conference that the completion date will be pushed back significantly to August 2029 from the previous target of March 2025.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); "The screening process has been prolonged as it took time to review detailed designs," Inagaki said 7 reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant "We haven't changed our hope to restart the No Tepco has completed preparations and is awaiting the consent of local governments But the reactor is now expected to remain offline for a prolonged period weighing further on the company's management Tepco also postponed the completion of an antiterrorism facility at the No 6 reactor from September 2026 to September 2031 Japan's new safety standards require nuclear reactors to have antiterrorism facilities If power plant operators fail to complete the construction of such facilities within five years of the approval of construction plans for nuclear plants the Nuclear Regulation Authority could prohibit the use of the plants In addition to the need to take safety measures for its nuclear plants Tepco has to secure funds to decommission its crippled Fukushima No as well as funds to provide compensation to people affected by the March 2011 meltdown accident at the plant The company has estimated that restarting one of the reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant would help improve its annual earnings by ¥100 billion ($669 million) The mayor of a central Japan city that hosts part of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant has indicated his willingness to greenlight the restart of its suspended reactors "We have reached a stage where we can accept a possible request for reactivation," Masahiro Sakurai said during a meeting Thursday with Tomoaki Kobayakawa president of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings the plant's operator.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Kobayakawa formally told the mayor of Tepco's plan to decide on a possible decommissioning of several among the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant's No The company's previous plans involved taking such steps within five years of the restart of the two reactors Kobayakawa said that Tepco will explain to the city how it will determine the composition of power supply as well as details of the possible decommissioning of reactors once the resumption of operations at the No Safety inspections ahead of reactivation were completed at the No The focus is now on whether Tepco will be able to secure the consent of local governments for its restart "Tepco gave a sincere response," Sakurai said at a news conference following the meeting "Whether (reactors) can be reactivated is up to Niigata Prefecture." Kobayakawa said that Tepco has yet to decide which reactors to decommission within the newly proposed two-year window tolerant of a proposed restart of a Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) nuclear power plant has won a third term in an election in the city has expressed his willingness to conditionally green-light the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant which straddles Kashiwazaki and the village of Kariwa both in Niigata Prefecture.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The focus now shifts to what decision Niigata Gov as he has not disclosed his view on the resumption of the plant's operations who has also accepted the plant's restart Tepco suspended the operations of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant following the March 2011 triple meltdown at its Fukushima No With safety inspections completed at the No 7 reactor of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in June the company has finished its preparations to restart the reactor It is only waiting for consent of local governments some municipalities around the plant are cautious about the restart It is unclear whether all local governments The industry ministry held a briefing session in Niigata Prefecture on Sunday to seek understanding from local people for the envisaged restart of reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant It was part of meetings that the government plans to hold in all municipalities in the prefecture except the city of Kashiwazaki and the village of Kariwa with an aim of winning local understanding for the reactor restart.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The first session was held on Tuesday last week The remaining sessions will take place in stages during the period until early February 2025 the prefecture has a total of 30 municipalities About 60 local people took part in Sunday's meeting in Nagaoka Many areas in Nagaoka are within 30 kilometers of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings nuclear plant Officials from the ministry explained plans to allow the restart of reactors whose safety has been confirmed in light of the needs to ensure stable electricity supply and promote decarbonization one local resident said: "We were unable to evacuate when a major earthquake struck in the past because roads were cut off How can you evacuate some 100,000 people in the event of a complex disaster?" "Why do we have to sacrifice ourselves to send electricity to Tokyo?" "We will put safety first," a ministry official said "We are ready to firmly deal with your anxiety." in a region known for heavy snowfall and sake brewing the world’s largest nuclear plant sits idle The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant a sprawling 4.2-million square meter complex by the sea was once the crown jewel in Japan’s strategy to boost atomic power to 50% of the country’s energy mix by 2030 a framed certificate from Guinness World Records acknowledges the facility’s potential output of 8.2 gigawatts as the most globally.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Right now that output — which would be enough to power more than 13 million households — is zero were shuttered after the 2011 tsunami and meltdown at the Fukushima No 1 plant in the Tohoku region that prompted the government to rethink its dependence on nuclear energy Nuclear power plants are thus the major source of the clean energy that the world desperately needs now it is always argued that these power plants are not safe a few giants stand out because of their sheer size and impact among the largest nuclear plants in the world the largest nuclear facility in the world is the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant (KK) along the Sea of Japan and it boasts a total gross installed capacity of 8,212 MW Seven boiling water reactors (BWRs) are available in sizes ranging from 1,100 MW to 1,356 MW The plant was inaugurated in 1985 with the last reactor coming on stream in 1997 It has the capacity to power more than 13 million households but since the Fukushima Daiichi disaster occurred on 11 March 2011 That incident invoked much stricter rules for facility safety for which reason local government approval for restarting this facility has not yet been secured although it received clearance from the regulator in 2017 The debate within the country is on what this facility will accomplish for cost and emissions reduction as Japan moved more toward importing fossil fuels It is the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario which is the second-largest nuclear power plant in the world with a total generating capacity of 6,430 MW and eight pressurized heavy water reactors whose operation began as far back as the 1980s two units were put back into operation in 2012 restoring the operational capability of this facility the elevation of its peak capacity was even increased by 22 MW because of additional upgrade at the plant Its reliability in capacity in supplying power continuously will be a vital part of the energy strategy for Canada The Hanul Nuclear Power Plant is the largest in South Korea and ranks as the third-largest nuclear plant in the world It has a current net capacity of 5,908 MW and will increase to 8,608 MW when its second development phase completes the plant has six pressurized water reactors (PWR) Two more reactors under construction as Shin Hanul-1 and Shin Hanul-2 are part of the ambitions for extending nuclear development in South Korea this is a South Korean nuclear power industry site with an output of 5,899 MW It started operations in 1986 and comprises six PWRs that have recently faced some challenging times such as having had the problems of experiencing cracks in their control rod guide tubes; these were repaired in 2013 Hanbit emphasizes the regular maintenance needed to assure the nuclear safety and efficiency of the sites The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is the largest in Europe with a capacity of 5,700 MW and along with six other VVER-1000 reactors produces over 20% of Ukraine’s electricity It is on par with the Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant in France making it an exemplary installation in terms of reliability and efficiency These plants demonstrate how nuclear energy can provide the capacity for delivering large carbon-free power while also emphasizing some of the ways in which it confronts challenges such as political resistance There is increased attraction towards nuclear energy a tendency that has even seen expansion by China and India; however weighing this against other principal issues of waste and safety becomes increasingly complicated The resumption of operations of Japan’s KK plant indicates the tension But the fact is that nuclear power plants such as Kashiwazaki-Kariwa and Bruce signify that nuclear energy can adapt and satisfy global power needs for a long term They are necessary for energy transition but first create an economic and political controversy and leave a promise for the future of nuclear energy Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report The economy ministry proposed a set of new rules on March 24 for a planned regulatory change that could allow nuclear plants to operate beyond the current 60-year limit The rules define how to implement new regulations that will take effect in June with Japan aiming to maximize its nuclear energy capacity by extending the lifespan of aging reactors periods when a nuclear plant’s operations have been suspended for extended regulatory reviews or a court order will not count toward its 60-year lifespan 1 reactor at the Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture remained offline for 12 and a half years for inspections and reviews prompted by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake the reactor could now be operated up to 72 years after it first debuted in 1974 that were idle for more than 10 years following the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant triggered by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami reactors that were taken offline due to operator negligence or misconduct will not be eligible for extensions This includes the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture which was shut down for 32 months due to inadequate counter-terrorism measures 2 reactor at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture will not be allowed to exclude from its lifespan the 18 months it was suspended due to data falsification the economy minister will approve extensions beyond 60 years on a case-by-case basis the new guidelines still leave some uncertainties is currently awaiting local approval and pre-operation inspections before restarting the No The ministry will decide on a case-by-case basis whether such periods will count toward the plant’s operational lifespan Members of the ministry’s expert panel called for greater transparency in the approval process advocating for an open debate that includes a third-party adviser Japan introduced a strict 40-year limit on reactor lifespans following the Fukushima accident the recent policy shift toward greater reliance on nuclear energy has allowed for extensions of up to 20 years subject to approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority all eight reactors that have applied for extensions have been granted approval to operate for 60 years effectively making the original limit irrelevant The government’s push for longer operational lifespans for reactors is part of its broader energy strategy which aims to “maximize the use of nuclear power.” Facing the financial and safety challenges of building new reactors the government seeks to keep existing ones operational for as long as possible no nuclear reactor has operated beyond 60 years and questions remain about how to ensure the safety of aging reactors NRA OKs 60-year operations for 2 more reactors at Takahama plant EDITORIAL: Limiting life of nuclear plants to 40 years should be continued Japan scrambles to keep nuclear plants going as long as possible NRA to extend maximum life of nuclear reactors beyond 60 years NRA approves extending period nuclear reactors can operate New law allows nuclear reactors to operate past 60 years Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission The development comes after a hiatus of more than a decade during which all Japanese nuclear reactors were suspended Japan is poised to restart the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear plant in October 2024, marking a significant step in the nation’s nuclear energy resurgence, according to BloombergNEF (BNEF) The move will contribute to lowering power costs and advancing Japan’s environmental objectives Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) is preparing to recommence operations at unit 7 of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa facility in Niigata Prefecture All Japanese nuclear reactors were suspended following the Fukushima Dai-Ichi disaster in 2011 BNEF analysts Mariko O’Neil and Yumi Kim suggest that Tepco will initiate output under a base-case scenario This will be the first instance of Tepco operating a nuclear reactor in compliance with the stringent safety regulations established post-Fukushima Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis Japan’s government is keen on accelerating the restart of nuclear reactors to mitigate power costs secure a stable energy supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions In April 2023 Tepco received the green light to load fuel into the reactor with the government urging local authorities to approve the necessary permissions for the restart The Kashiwazaki Kariwa plant has seven units with a combined capacity of 8GW The reactivation of unit 7 is part of a broader initiative that aims to bring five reactors nationwide back into operation by 2025 BNEF noted that this rate may not meet the government’s target that nuclear energy should comprise one-fifth of Japan’s power mix by 2030 It forecasts a decrease in monthly average electricity prices by 11% in 2024 compared to the previous year attributing the decline to subdued demand and increased supply from nuclear restarts alongside new wind and solar projects In April 2023, following the approval by Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), Tepco announced plans to commence fuel loading into unit 7 The company said in a statement: “We received approval for the test use of safety equipment to confirm the soundness of the equipment we will carry out fuel loading and subsequent pre-use operator inspections to confirm the integrity of the equipment.” both 1.35GW advanced boiling water reactors originally commenced commercial operations in 1996 and 1997 respectively they were the first Japanese boiling water reactors proposed for restart with Tepco applying for NRA approval for safety enhancements In 2017 the NRA granted permission to Tepco to restart units 6 and 7 View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network the Japanese government’s Green Transformation (GX) Implementation Council met to discuss the reestablishment of stable energy supplies in the country in order to accelerate GX efforts the members agreed to seek specific measures for restarting the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plants (BWRs 7 units)—owned and operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Co Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio chairs the council Niigata Prefecture is holding explanatory public meetings toward restarting Unit 7 at the Kashiwazaki Kariwa site The focus has been on the prefecture’s position Toward achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050 the GX Implementation Council advocates “fundamental reform of society and the economy as a whole shifting from a fossil-fuel oriented economy and industrial structure—which have existed since the Industrial Revolution—to those oriented toward clean energy Launched in July 2022 to address the development of necessary policies deepening discussions through exchanges of opinions with relevant ministers the council presented its ideas about how the country should carry out nuclear policy into the future and laid forth a course of action for speeding up the restarts of seven NPPs whose operation had been stalled since the 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi and for which permission had been granted to make changes to its reactor installations Discussions were conducted against the backdrop of world circumstances including turmoil in oil and gas markets due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine The seven units in question were as follows: while speaking about his own expected resignation declared that “preparations for restarting NPPs in Eastern Japan” would be one of his key personal priorities during the remainder of his term in order to advance the country’s GX efforts depends on fossil fuel power plants for as much as 70% of its electricity As those plants are concentrated along Tokyo Bay and on the Pacific Coast the prime minister mentioned his concern about increasing disparities in electricity rates between eastern and western Japan with NPP restarts proceeding in the latter Prime Minister Kishida said that a ministerial meeting on nuclear energy would be convened during the following week to address restarting the Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs He said that he would make his position clear at the meeting and would instruct participants there to develop specific measures to realize more restarts around one-tenth of fossil fuel power in the Tokyo metropolitan area is generated by aged plants that have been in operation for more than four decades according to policy measures for electricity supply and demand that the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) issued in June for the upcoming summer months that about 30GW of that capacity is concentrated along Tokyo Bay there is an elevated risk of loss due to aging problems The summer of 2024 has been intensely hot so far with electricity demand soaring especially because of air conditioning use According to the TEPCO Electricity Forecast maximum electric power demand of 56.99GW was recorded in the company’s service area between 2 and 3 o’clock in the afternoon on July 29 Kumagaya City in Saitama Prefecture (around 70km NW of Tokyo) saw a sweltering high of 40℃ (104°F) The maximum electric demand in the previous summer had been 55.25GW between 2 and 3 o’clock in the afternoon of July 18 Cabinet Office Seeks Public Comments on Safety Regulations for Fusion Energy JAIF President Masui Praises New Strategic Energy Plan The 7th Strategic Energy Plan Approved by the Cabinet METI Minister Muto Emphasizes Japan’s GX Activities in New Year Remarks Japan’s Council on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Meets Advisory Committee Presents Draft of Japan’s Next Strategic Energy Plan Working Group Assesses Scenarios for Japan’s Future Power-Generation Costs If you would like to learn more about the IAEA’s work sign up for our weekly updates containing our most important news An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts completed a nuclear security mission at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station (KKNPS) in Japan today which was carried out at the request of the country’s operator aimed to assess the enhancement of the physical protection measures at the KKNPS Japan’s largest nuclear facility with seven reactors and to provide further advice as necessary to the facility's operator A physical protection system comprises people procedures and equipment to provide defence in depth to address threats and to protect against both unauthorized removal of nuclear material and sabotage of nuclear material or facilities The five-person team assessed and observed physical protection measures against the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material as amended and relevant IAEA Nuclear Security Guidance documents They visited the KKNPS in Niigata Prefecture and met with staff of the facility’s operator the United Kingdom and the United States of America The team observed the facility management’s commitment to improving nuclear security and identified continuous improvements in several areas of the KKNPS physical protection system since 2018, when the IAEA conducted an International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) Follow-up Mission in Japan Most of the improvements have been completed and some requiring significant resources and time to complete are either under implementation or planned to be implemented The team provided TEPCO recommendations and suggestions for further improvements requires robust physical protection measures as part of a national nuclear security regime supported by a legislative and regulatory framework and nuclear security culture,” said Elena Buglova Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security “The IAEA expert missions are intended to assist the requesting States in establishing and further strengthening their national nuclear security regimes including the physical protection against theft sabotage or unauthorized use of nuclear and other radioactive material.” “The findings provided by the experts of the Expert Mission team are very important and will be used further to enhance nuclear security of our plant in line with the IAEA international standards Based on the advice given by the IAEA experts TEPCO is committed to continuously improve our security measures by establishing a strong security culture to sustain this current security enhancement effort and prevent it from declining again in the future we will further strengthen the prevention measures against internal threat and continue our improvement aiming towards a better physical protection system This Expert Mission has also provided us a great opportunity to learn about international good practices We will continue to improve towards a plant which our local region can trust and feel safe about,” said KKNPS Superintendent Takeyuki Inagaki of TEPCO The team presented its draft report of findings to TEPCO The final report will be ready in the next few weeks The KKNPS houses seven boiling water reactors with a total gross electrical capacity of 8212 MW(e) It is located between Kashiwazaki City and Kariwa Village on the coast of the Sea of Japan of the Niigata Prefecture after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident led to the shutdown of all nuclear plants in Japan Japan accepted the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) The CPPNM establishes legal obligations for Parties regarding the physical protection of nuclear material used for peaceful purposes The Amendment strengthens the original CPPNM by establishing States’ obligations to protect nuclear facilities and material in peaceful domestic use Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Rafael Grossi director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed on Tuesday to strengthen cooperation on the decommissioning and dismantling of the Fukushima No Iwaya and Grossi discussed the work at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) Holdings plant and the release of tritium-tainted treated water from the facility into the ocean.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); At a joint news conference after the meeting Iwaya thanked the IAEA for its cooperation and said "We will ensure safety with the involvement of the IAEA in order to safely release treated water until the 'last drop.'" He also said that a decision has been made to contribute about €14 million to the IAEA for medical assistance and other purposes in Ukraine Iwaya and Grossi exchanged views on measures to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants in Ukraine Grossi arrived in Japan on Tuesday and visited Tepco's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture for the first time He referred to the importance of restarting the plant at an early date for the sake of Japan and Tepco During his stay in the country until Thursday he is scheduled to participate in additional monitoring related to treated water from the Fukushima plant Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday the relevant ministers will meet next week to discuss steps needed to secure local consent for restarting Tokyo Electric Power’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant the national nuclear regulator lifted an operational ban imposed in 2021 on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in northern Japan due to safety breaches allowing TEPCO to work towards gaining local permission to restart TEPCO has been eager to bring the world’s largest nuclear power plant back online to slash operating costs “The operator and the government must work together to gain local community support for the restart,” Kishida told the Green Transformation implementation conference said: “I will make every effort during my remaining term to advance the green transformation including preparing for the restart of a nuclear reactor in eastern Japan,” according to public broadcaster NHK It is rare for a ministerial meeting to focus on a specific power plant The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata prefecture has been offline since 2012 following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster which led to the shutdown of all nuclear plants in Japan at the time While TEPCO received in 2017 initial regulatory approval to restart two reactors of the plant TEPCO needs consent from Niigata prefecture governor to resume operations the prefecture’s governor said that more talks were needed over the possible restart of the plant Japan has been able to restart only 12 reactors since 2011 with many operators still going through a re-licensing process to comply with stricter safety standards imposed after the 2011 Fukushima disaster Operator of wrecked Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant prepares to restart another plant Evacuation plans still missing around 6 nuclear power plants TEPCO still has long road before restart at Niigata nuclear plant Nuke authorities approve loading fuel at Niigata nuclear plant Energy authority clears TEPCO to restart Niigata nuclear plant Japan set out to phase out the use of nuclear power plants after the country's worst nuclear accident at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima No when the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) was in power Since the Liberal Democratic Party returned to power in late 2012 the country has shifted back to using nuclear plants as electricity consumption is expected to grow rapidly with the rise of artificial intelligence.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); political parties have made various pledges on nuclear power ranging from abolishing all nuclear plants to maximizing their use a situation that highlights the difficulty of reaching consensus on the issue Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division. Tepco applied for NRA approval of its design and construction plan for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa units 6 and 7 in September 2013. It submitted information on safety upgrades across the site and at those two units. These 1356 MWe Advanced Boiling Water Reactors began commercial operation in 1996 and 1997 and were the first Japanese boiling water reactors to be put forward for restart. In 2017, Tepco received permission from the NRA to restart units 6 and 7. Local government consents are still required before the reactors can be restarted. The NRA told Tepco in March 2021 that a preliminary assessment had rated the significance of these security lapses as 'red' - the highest level on its four-point scale of risks in safeguarding nuclear material. This rating implies a large impact on safety functions or performance. The NRA decided to "suspend for the time being" its pre-use inspections, which are required for Tepco to load fuel into Kashiwazaki-Kariwa unit 7. The following month, the NRA issued an administrative order to Tepco prohibiting it from moving nuclear fuel at the plant until improvements in security measures there have been confirmed by additional inspections. At the 27 December meeting, the NRA decided to lift the administrative order after inspections confirmed that measures had been enhanced at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, in Japan's Niigata Prefecture. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was unaffected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which damaged Tepco's Fukushima Daiichi plant, although the plant's reactors were previously all offline for two to three years following the 2007 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake, which caused damage to the site but did not damage the reactors themselves. While the units were offline, work was carried out to improve the plant's earthquake resistance. Although it has completed work at the other idled units at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, Tepco is concentrating its resources on units 6 and 7 while it deals with the clean-up at Fukushima Daiichi. Restarting those two units - which have been offline for periodic inspections since March 2012 and August 2011, respectively - would increase the company's earnings by an estimated JPY100 billion (USD706 million) per year. "While going back once again to the reflections and lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident, we will continue to engage in activities in which all personnel voluntarily engage as we strive to become a nuclear power operator that is trusted by the people of the region and society as a whole," Tepco said. "We received approval for the test use of safety equipment to confirm the soundness of the equipment," the utility said. "From now on, we will carry out fuel loading and subsequent pre-use operator inspections to confirm the integrity of the equipment." Tepco said it was starting the fuel loading process from around 16:00 (local time) on Monday, ahead of the unit's potential restart. Additional regulatory inspections will still be required before Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 7 - which has been offline since August 2011 - can resume operation. In addition, consent must also be sought from the local governor. Although the central government has been seeking Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi's approval for the restart, he has yet to announce whether he will give his consent. Tepco applied for Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approval of its design and construction plan for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa units 6 and 7 in September 2013. It submitted information on safety upgrades across the site and at those two units. These 1356 MWe Advanced Boiling Water Reactors began commercial operation in 1996 and 1997 and were the first Japanese boiling water reactors to be put forward for restart. In 2017, Tepco received permission from the NRA to restart units 6 and 7. NIIGATA — A technical committee has concluded that there are no major problems with the safety measures in place at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture. To use this site, please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page. This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies. Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. The committee, which was set up by the prefecture to review the nuclear power plant’s safety, submitted its report to Niigata Gov. Hideyo Hanazumi on Wednesday. The plant is able to begin operations, however, whether or not it will be restarted will depend on the approval of the local community. [The report] is an important part of the decision-making process, so residents in the prefecture can make the right decision on whether to restart the plant,” said Hanazumi. There is a possibly that the process of restarting the plant will move forward. Based on lessons learned from the 2011 accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the committee reviewed 22 items since 2013, including measures against severe accidents such as hydrogen explosions and liquefaction, through interviews with TEPCO and central government officials, as well as on-site inspections. The report found “no particular problems” with 18 items, including “information dissemination in the event of an accident” and “measures to prevent damage to the reactor container. The committee members were divided on four items, including “the suitability of TEPCO as the operator” of the nuclear power plant. The report simply stated that the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s decision to give its approval after the safety inspection “should not be denied.” “It’s important to maintain a high level of safety and security awareness and continue to make efforts to improve them,” said Prof. Toru Obara of the Institute of Science Tokyo, who chairs the committee, when presenting the report to Hanazumi. The prefecture intends to make the contents of the report public through information meetings with residents and other means. Hanazumi has said he will decide whether to allow the plant to be restarted after assessing the residents’ responses. The plant has been shut down since March 2012, and all seven reactors are offline. Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting, readable fomat. © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun The 2011 tsunami and Fukushima meltdown brought Japan’s ambitious plans for nuclear power to a screeching halt the government is a taking a renewed look at atomic energy as it seeks to limit reliance on costly fuel imports woo energy-hungry businesses like AI data centers Aomori Prefecture--Spent nuclear fuel from Niigata Prefecture arrived here on Sept 26 en route to a newly opened interim storage facility a significant step in managing Japan's nuclear waste This marks the first instance in the nation of storing spent nuclear fuel outside the grounds of a nuclear power plant The move comes despite ongoing local concerns about the lack of a concrete national policy for handling radioactive waste The cargo vessel that departed from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant arrived at Sekinehama Port here in the morning unloading a cask containing 69 spent fuel assemblies weighing approximately 12 tons the storage facility will receive a total of 96 tons of spent fuel in eight casks from the same plant The company is a subsidiary of major nuclear plant operators Japan Atomic Power Co The facility is designed to store 5,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel when a planned second building is completed Aomori Prefecture and Mutsu aim to generate more than 300 million yen ($2.07 million) by March 2029 by taxing the spent fuel which supplies electricity to Tokyo and the surrounding areas has been offline since 2021 due to safety violations As a condition for restarting its reactors municipal officials in Kashiwazaki have demanded a reduction in the amount of spent nuclear fuel stored at the plant A deal signed between local authorities and RFS limits storage at the Mutsu facility to 50 years utilities hope to relocate the fuel to a recycling facility to render it reusable again residents are concerned that the supposedly temporary storage site may ultimately become a permanent disposal location for radioactive waste Japan has long advocated for recycling spent uranium and plutonium for reuse in reactors construction has stalled at the proposed fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho Initially scheduled to open nearly three decades ago the plant's launch has been repeatedly postponed leading to widespread criticism that the project is going nowhere (This article was written by Yusuke Noda and Teruto Unuma.) Aomori governor to OK nuclear waste storage Safety measures OK’d for facility to store spent nuclear fuel Mayor again stands in way of plan for spent nuclear fuel Utility eyes Yamaguchi as site to store spent nuclear fuel Town assembly gives nod to start 44-year-old nuclear reactor Mayor OKs 2 aged reactors at Takahama nuke plant for restart Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The construction of an anti-terrorism facility for the No 7 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture will be completed in August 2029 much later than the scheduled completion in March this year please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent “This is the first construction [of its type] ever and it took time to review the design and other things.” TEPCO has been aiming to restart the plant but the operation may not be resumed until more than four years from now New regulatory standards established after the Fukushima No 1 nuclear plant accident in 2011 require the installation of a special facility for dealing with major accidents to prepare for terrorist attacks The facility must be installed within five years of the approval of the construction plan The deadline for the installation of such a facility for reactor No Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting Since the 2011 accident at the Fukushima No Japan's view of nuclear as the “dream energy” has been profoundly transformed the country planned to rely on nuclear power for half of its electricity by 2030 this energy source contributes a mere 8% of the total — significantly less than the current target of 20-22% by the end of the decade first set in 2014.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); This discrepancy underscores dynamic shifts and substantial challenges in Japan's nuclear sector situated roughly in the middle of the Sea of Japan coast on Honshu hosts the coastal industrial city of Kashiwazaki this city holds the Gion Kashiwazaki Festival which concludes with a renowned fireworks display We spoke with an official from Kashiwazaki City about the highlights of this fireworks festival Kashiwazaki City is located in the southwestern part of Niigata Prefecture along the Sea of Japan Its 42-kilometer gently curving coastline offers views of crystal-clear waters The area is dotted with 15 attractive beaches drawing many visitors from both within Niigata Prefecture and beyond One of the most prominent summer events in Kashiwazaki is the Gion Kashiwazaki Festival which shares its name and traditions with Kyoto’s Yasaka Shrine this shrine has hosted summer festivals aimed at warding off epidemics the summer festival has merged with local shopping district events to form the Gion Kashiwazaki Festival Typically held over three days from July 24 to 26 the festival’s highlight is the grand Seaside Fireworks display This amazing event makes full use of Kashiwazaki’s extensive coastline The fireworks are launched over a stretch of 1.5 kilometers with approximately 16,000 fireworks illuminating the sea and sky The display is dominated by fireworks larger than 5-inch shells* featuring a spectacular sequence that includes fireworks launched diagonally towards the sea and those striking the ocean surface in addition to those launched into the sky This powerful combination of continuous launches makes for a breathtaking spectacle the festival attracted a bustling crowd of approximately 170,000 people KOYAMA Yoko from the Kashiwazaki City Commercial Tourism Division shares her thoughts on the fireworks festival: “It’s an impressive spectacle set against the sea on a grand scale with breathtaking intensity Particularly striking are moments such as the two consecutive rounds of 100 synchronized fireworks and the amazing launch of 300 large fireworks in rapid succession against the backdrop of the Sea of Japan at twilight overwhelming in their sheer volume of sound and light A standout feature includes fireworks unfolding on the sea’s surface a unique spectacle made possible by its expansive setting.” “Kashiwazaki is conveniently located about two and a half hours from Tokyo by taking the Shinkansen north and then transferring to local trains We welcome visitors from overseas to come and visit us and enjoy the charm of the fireworks festival a source of pride among local residents.” * The size of fireworks is expressed in gauge numbers A 5-inch shell has an approximate diameter of 15 cm reaches a height of about 190 meters upon launch and has an average burst radius of about 85 meters when it explodes By TANAKA NozomiPhoto: Kashiwazaki City; PIXTA If you have any feedback or comments on this content please enter them in the space provided below Your valuable feedback and commnents will be referenced for our future operations Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter for receiving monthly updates You will be redirected to an external website Would you like to proceed?If you wish to continue IAEA has expressed support for plans and offered technical assistance Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has applied for regulatory approval to load nuclear fuel into Unit 7 at its Kashiwazaki Kariwa power station in Niigata Prefecture from April 15 as it seeks to restart the facility has been offline since 2012 pending safety checks after the Fukushima disaster in 2011 Tepco and the government are keen to restart Kashiwazaki Kariwa Tepco said in June 2020 it was concentrating its resources on restarting the newer Units 6 and 7 In January, Japan’s nuclear regulator lifted an operational ban imposed on Kashiwazaki Kariwa two years ago allowing Tepco to work towards gaining local permission to restart Japan is looking to its nuclear reactors to cut carbon emissions and ensure stable sources of energy Prime minister Fumio Kishida’s government has signalled a major policy shift in favour of nuclear Japan’s fleet of 54 nuclear plants generated about 30% of the country’s electricity Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser. Copyright THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS. All rights reserved. Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant Japan had big plans for nuclear power before the 2011 tsunami Now a debate over restarting its biggest facility will test if it can turn away from costly imported fuels.  XLinkedInEmailLinkGiftFacebookXLinkedInEmailLinkGiftBy May 28, 2024 at 5:00 PM EDTBookmarkSave日本語版: 世界最大の原発、柏崎刈羽再稼働で軋轢－エネルギー問題緩和期待も Any restrictions on products from the region ‘not scientific’