Tokyo
Tohoku Electric Power Company restarted Unit 2 of Japan’s Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant on Wednesday after addressing a technical issue that had prompted a temporary shutdown. The reactor had initially been reactivated on Oct 29 for the first time since the 2011 earthquake but was halted due to a problem during maintenance.
The issue was traced to a loosened nut in the reactor’s piping system, which caused complications with measurement equipment. After conducting thorough inspections, the company resumed operations at 9 a.m. local time. Power generation is set to recommence by November 19, with plans for full-scale commercial operations starting in December.
The Onagawa plant was heavily impacted by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, losing most of its external power and experiencing flooding. After clearing safety checks in 2020 under stricter post-Fukushima standards, the plant received local approval to restart.
As Japan seeks to bolster energy security amid resource constraints, the government is advocating for reactor restarts, although public concerns about nuclear safety remain strong.
