Japan Reactivates Globe's Most Powerful Nuclear Plant

(MENAFN) Japan reactivated a reactor at the globe's most powerful nuclear facility Wednesday—the first operation at the site since the catastrophic 2011 Fukushima meltdown, media reported.

The massive 8.2-gigawatt Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex in Niigata Prefecture, housing seven reactors, has stood dormant since 2012 following the tsunami-triggered Fukushima Daiichi catastrophe.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa employs identical boiling water reactor technology as the crippled Fukushima plant and operates under the same utility—Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The restart represents the operator's first reactor brought back online since the 2011 accident.

Safety Concerns Delayed Decade-Long Revival
The facility—Earth's largest nuclear installation when fully operational—remained shuttered after routine 2012 maintenance amid intense public safety anxieties following Fukushima and widespread skepticism about TEPCO's operational competence.

Tuesday's planned restart hit complications when a control-rod alarm malfunctioned during final testing. The No. 6 reactor achieved criticality Wednesday after TEPCO confirmed to nuclear regulators that a conclusive control rod inspection had been successfully completed earlier in the day.

Government Pushes Nuclear Renaissance
This activation marks the 15th reactor restart since Fukushima among Japan's 33 operational nuclear units, as Tokyo aggressively pursues expanded nuclear energy reliance.

The restart, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was delayed after a last-minute control-rod alarm malfunction occurred during a test.

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