Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) on Wednesday restarted its first nuclear reactor since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, a move closely watched as the utility navigates ongoing cleanup efforts and seeks to revitalize its business.
The No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, came back online, becoming the 15th reactor in Japan to restart following the implementation of stricter post-Fukushima safety standards. The complex, when fully operational, stands as the world’s largest nuclear power plant by output.
This restart represents a significant step for the Japanese government’s push to utilize nuclear power in a nation limited in natural resources, though public safety concerns linger after the 2011 crisis—the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.
The pivotal moment occurred at 7:02 p.m. local time on Wednesday, when an operator in the central control room initiated the removal of control rods from the No. 6 reactor. At 8:28 p.m., the reactor achieved criticality—a controlled, self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction.
Tepco intends to gradually increase power output and begin transmitting electricity to the Tokyo area on a trial basis Tuesday, with plans for full commercial operation commencing on February 26.
