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UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant’ : 22 November

Daily News Analysis ‘Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant’ : 22 November

Table of Content

Why in News?

  • Japan has approved the partial restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant

About Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant

  • Located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
  • Operated by TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company).
  • It is one of the largest nuclear power plants in the world.
  • It has 7 boiling water reactors (BWRs).
  • Total capacity is around 8,000 MW.

Safety After Fukushima disaster

  • After the 2011 Fukushima disaster, Japan created very strict nuclear safety rules.
  • This plant was kept shut down for years for safety checks and upgrades.
  • The Nuclear Regulation Authority found issues in security and inspection systems, which delayed restarts.
  • Recently, Japan is considering restarting reactors to improve energy security.

Key Concerns

  • The area is earthquake-prone, so very high safety is required.
  • Past lapses by TEPCO reduced public trust.

DO YOU KNOW?

Fukushima disaster
  • Fukushima (2011) occurred after a massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan.
  • The nuclear plant’s cooling systems failed, causing reactor meltdowns.
  • This led to radioactive leakage and large-scale evacuation.