Unit 6 at Japan’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP in Niigata Prefecture, has begun power generation and transmission on a trial basis. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) restarted the unit earlier in February after technical problems in January delayed the process. Tepco initially tried to restart unit 6, a 1356 MWe Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR), on 21 January but closed it down again the following day after a monitoring system alarm sounded.
Tepco plans to start full-fledged electricity transmission from unit 6 6 unit at the seven-reactor plant on 18 March. The unit will supply electricity to Tokyo and its nearby areas. Trial transmission was delayed from its initial schedule as a device to measure neutrons inside the reactor did not function properly.
Tepco plans to disconnect the unit from the grid and then reconnect it multiple times before the trial ends, boosting its output gradually to 50% from 20% and then to its maximum level. The last time electricity was transmitted the unit was in late March 2012 before it was shut down for a regular checkup in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, unlike Fukushima Daiichi, was unaffected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami as all seven of the plant’s reactors had already been offline for two to three years following the earlier 2007 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake, which caused damage to the site. Work has since been carried out to improve the plant’s earthquake resistance.
Tepco noted: We will continue to work hand-in-hand with our industry partners and the local community to maintain the understanding and trust that is essential for the restart of the plant. Safety and disaster-resilience will remain uncompromising commitments for the entire Tepco team as we proceed with the work of bringing the plant back into service. Delivering a safe, stable supply of electricity that contributes to a net-zero future is our duty to Japan and the world.”
