Nuclear Reactor Halted After Control Rod Trouble

Jan 23, 2026 | News On Japan

NIIGATA, Jan 23, 2026 (News On Japan) - Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said it will shut down the reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture after a malfunction occurred while control rods were being withdrawn during restart operations.

According to TEPCO, an alarm sounded at 0:28 a.m. on January 23rd while operators were withdrawing control rods at Unit 6, indicating a problem with one rod, prompting them to suspend the operation.

The company replaced electrical components inside the control and monitoring panel for the control rods, but the situation did not improve, and with the cause expected to take time to identify, TEPCO decided to stop the reactor.

The plant remains stable and there is no impact from radiation outside the facility, TEPCO said.

TEPCO had begun withdrawing control rods at Unit 6 shortly after 7 p.m. on January 22nd, restarting the reactor for the first time in 14 years, and confirmed it had reached a critical state in which nuclear fission reactions continue.

Source: TBS

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