Tepco Restarts Kashiwazaki‑Kariwa Unit 6, Aims for March Commercial Operation
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Unit 6 restarted after 14‑year shutdown – TEPCO restarted the 1,356 MWe Advanced Boiling Water Reactor at 14:00 local time on Monday, confirming criticality at 15:20, ending an almost 14‑year offline period [1].
Planned pressure increase and temporary halt – TEPCO will raise reactor pressure gradually, resume power generation on 16 Feb, then pause on 20 Feb or later for abnormality checks before final NRA inspection, targeting commercial operation on 18 Mar [1].
Earlier alarm caused brief suspension – The reactor was initially restarted on 21 Jan, but an alarm in the control‑rod monitoring system after midnight on 22 Jan halted the withdrawal operation, prompting a suspension while the cause was investigated [1].
First TEPCO reactor since Fukushima to run commercially – Once back in service, unit 6 will be the first plant owned by TEPCO to resume commercial operation after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident [1].
Economic impact estimated at ¥100 billion annually – Restarting units 6 and 7, approved in Dec 2017, is projected to add about ¥100 billion (US$633 million) to TEPCO’s earnings each year [1].
Local government approval and safety deadlines – Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi approved the restarts in Nov 2025, with the prefectural assembly backing in Dec, and TEPCO must implement anti‑terrorism measures at unit 6 by Sep 2029 [1].
- TEPCO spokesperson – “We will continue to confirm the integrity of the plant equipment while actually using steam, and will respond diligently to the inspection by the Nuclear Regulation Authority. As this will be the first operation in approximately 14 years, we will carefully check the integrity of each piece of plant equipment, take appropriate action if we notice anything, and provide thorough information on the status of each startup process.” – TEPCO, outlining its safety monitoring during the restart.