Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has suspended operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan, just a day after a reactor was brought back online for the first time in more than a decade.
The pause came after an alarm sounded during startup procedures, and the operator said it did not yet know when the issue would be resolved.
The No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata prefecture began operating on 21 January 2026, marking its first operation since being shut down after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The plant is regarded as the world’s largest nuclear facility by potential capacity, though only this single unit was restarted.
Early on Thursday, an alarm from the reactor’s monitoring system was triggered while workers were withdrawing control rods, equipment crucial for regulating the nuclear fission process.
In response, TEPCO halted the startup and shut the reactor down again for safety checks and investigation. The company has not provided a timetable for when the reactor might resume operation.
TEPCO emphasised that there has been no abnormal release of radiation and that the reactor remains in a stable condition, but the suspension highlights ongoing challenges in bringing nuclear capacity back online in Japan’s highly regulated post-Fukushima environment.
The resumed operation of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was seen as a significant step in Japan’s efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports and reintegrate nuclear energy into its power mix.
However, this early halt may delay those plans, and calls for clearer explanations of the cause and potential fixes have begun to emerge from analysts and energy policy observers.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not think he will need China's help to end the war with Iran as he le...
This is the third and final article in AnewZ’s series examining the fight for access to treatment for children with Duchenne muscular dystrop...
Russian forces have launched renewed attacks across Ukraine following the expiry of a short U.S.-mediated ceasefire, Ukrainian officials said, mark...
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has again been impeached by the country’s lower house, more than a...
Trade between the United Arab Emirates and Syria more than doubled in 2025, a UAE minister said on Tuesday duri...
Japan’s first import of crude oil from Azerbaijan has highlighted the country’s energy vulnerability and renewed efforts to diversify supply chains beyond the Middle East, according to Professor Sejiro Takeshita of the University of Shizuoka.
Australia and Japan agreed on Monday to deepen cooperation on energy and critical minerals, as Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met her Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during a three-day visit.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to strengthen relations with Vietnam, with a focus on energy security and critical minerals, following talks in Hanoi on Saturday (2 May).
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Kuwait arrested four members of an IRGC-linked group as they tried to enter the country by sea, the Gulf state's KUNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a senior IRGC officer said Iran had expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz to include a far wider area.
Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku has been elected the 142nd head of the Georgian Orthodox Church at a meeting of clergy in Tbilisi following the death of longtime Patriarch Ilia II.
Biological samples from an Italian man were transferred to a specialist hospital for testing on Tuesday, after he was suspected of contracting hantavirus. Meanwhile, World Health Organization boss Tedros Ghebreyesus said there were “no sign” of a larger outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise.
Afghanistan has signed a five-year gold mining contract with Afghan and Azerbaijani companies in a deal worth more than $20m, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has said.
Exclusive flight-tracking material obtained by AnewZ has raised new questions about French military aircraft movements linked to President Emmanuel Macron’s recent diplomacy with Armenia and the wider scope of France’s defence cooperation with Yerevan.
Russian forces have launched renewed attacks across Ukraine following the expiry of a short U.S.-mediated ceasefire, Ukrainian officials said, marking a sharp escalation in hostilities after days of relative restraint.
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has again been impeached by the country’s lower house, more than a year after an earlier impeachment complaint against her was dismissed on constitutional grounds.
Trade between the United Arab Emirates and Syria more than doubled in 2025, a UAE minister said on Tuesday during an investment forum in Damascus that reflected rapidly improving ties between the two countries.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 13th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Senior officials from China and Uzbekistan met in Beijing this week for talks on trade, infrastructure and bilateral cooperation, underscoring a relationship that has continued to deepen steadily in recent years.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment