Japan on Thursday halted operations at a reactor at the world’s largest nuclear power plant due to a problem involving its control rods, just one day after the unit was restarted.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said it stopped the No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture after a malfunction was detected in electrical components that operate the control rods.
The reactor had been brought back online Wednesday following the completion of inspections, Kyodo News reported. Efforts to resolve the malfunction were unsuccessful, prompting the shutdown. The cause is under investigation.
The restart had already been delayed by one day after a control-rod alarm malfunctioned during a test on Tuesday. TEPCO said the reactor was restarted after inspections confirmed the control rods were functioning properly.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, which has a total capacity of 8.2 gigawatts and houses seven reactors, has remained idle since 2012. Operations were suspended following public safety concerns raised by the tsunami-triggered Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and questions over TEPCO’s ability to safely manage nuclear facilities.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said the reactor remains in a stable condition and that there are no current safety concerns.
By Saadet Gokce
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
