Japan restarts 1,356MW reactor at world's largest nuclear power plant

Japan has restarted Unit 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, marking a significant milestone in the country’s nuclear recovery nearly 14 years after the Fukushima disaster. This 1,356-megawatt advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR), operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), is part of the world’s largest nuclear power station by installed capacity. The reactor, which had been offline since the 2011 Fukushima accident, was brought back online on February 9, with criticality achieved shortly after restart. Tepco plans to gradually raise reactor pressure, resume power generation by February 16, and begin commercial operation on March 18, pending final inspections by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). The restart is Tepco’s first since the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, which led to the shutdown of Japan’s entire nuclear fleet and extensive regulatory reforms. Although the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was undamaged by the 2011 earthquake and