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Nuclear Plant Restart Stalls Due to Technical Glitch
22 Jan
Summary
- World's largest nuclear plant restart suspended hours after beginning.
- An alarm from monitoring systems caused the temporary halt.
- Operator TEPCO is investigating malfunctioning electrical equipment.
Operations to restart a reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata were suspended on January 21, 2026, due to a technical issue. The suspension occurred late Wednesday, just hours after the process began and following the final approval from Japan's nuclear regulator. An alarm from the monitoring system during startup procedures prompted operator TEPCO to halt the operation.
TEPCO is currently investigating malfunctioning electrical equipment. While the reactor remains stable and poses no external radioactive risk, this is the second technical issue to affect the restart, which was initially scheduled for January 20, 2026. A problem with control rod removal last weekend caused a previous delay.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the world's largest by potential capacity, has been offline since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Japan aims to revive nuclear energy to reduce fossil fuel reliance and meet carbon neutrality goals, but public opinion in Niigata remains divided, with a significant portion of residents opposing the restart due to safety concerns.
