New Issues Come to Lightīut this sense of security was short lived. The utility felt confident that it had done everything in its power to meet NRA safety guidelines. The government completed its inspection of Unit 7 in October 2020, and the majority of construction had been finished by January the following year. The new standards, considered the strictest in the global nuclear industry, significantly strengthen the plant’s resilience against earthquakes and tsunamis and also include stringent antiterrorism guidelines like developing a response to attackers flying an airplane into the facility. I previously wrote in length about the safety upgrades at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa to bring the plant in compliance with the NRA’s new regulations, which it released in July 2013 in response to the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. It goes without saying that ensuring the safe operation of Japan’s nuclear power plants is of utmost importance. In light of these revelations, Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority in April of that year put restart plans on hold until the utility fully addressed the issues, wiping clean the timeline for bringing the units online. ![]() However, in January 2021 these plans hit a serious obstacle after a number of serious safety breaches, which TEPCO called “improprieties,” were uncovered. However, it is unclear whether the prime minister fully grasped the current situation at the plant when making his decision or, as appears more likely, he is determined to barrel ahead with his agenda.Īll seven reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world’s largest nuclear power plant, have been offline since March 2011, and TEPCO has been steadily upgrading safety infrastructure at the plant with the aim of restarting Units 6 and 7. Kishida is looking to nuclear power to help Japan deal with an energy situation impacted by factors like high prices for oil and natural gas following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the government’s commitment to decarbonization. Plant manager Inagaki Takeyuki, speaking at a regular press conference on August 25, echoed these concerns, saying that “there’s no way to say at this stage whether a restart will be by then.” Such comments put TEPCO out of step with the government’s stance, raising questions as to why the utility is being cautious about Kashiwazaki-Kariwa. A TEPCO official at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa acknowledged that Kishida’s statement would build momentum for restarting the units, which have remained shut down as workers address security issues, but warned that the prime minister’s summer 2023 timeline complicates the situation for workers. ![]() While the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, publicly welcomed the announcement, the reaction behind the scenes was reserved by contrast. ![]() The government is also aiming to restart Units 6 and 7 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station in Niigata Prefecture. On August 24, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced plans to increase nuclear power’s ratio in Japan’s energy mix, including constructing new facilities and extending the operation life of existing plants.
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