Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced that it has begun loading fuel into the core of unit 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. The loading process is preliminary to the planned restart of the unit and should be completed in two weeks. TEPCO stated that an announcement would be made after the process is complete. In 2017, the company received permission from the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) to restart units 6 and 7. However, in 2021, the NRA issued an administrative order to TEPCO prohibiting it from moving nuclear fuel at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant until a tangible improvement in security measures. This order was lifted only in 2023 after inspections confirmed that security had been enhanced at the site. Initially, TEPCO aimed to restart unit 7, completing fuel loading in its core last year, but the reactor would have to remain offline until the implementation of anti-terrorism safety measures. TEPCO has until 2029 to implement such measures in both units 6 and 7, although unit 6 could operate until that time, pending local approval.
TEPCO wants to restart the two units at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa to increase its earnings by an estimated 100 billion yen per year. Part of the money will be used to cover the expenses for the clean-up of the Fukushima nuclear plant after the 2011 disaster.
