Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station - Carbon-Free Energy — With Uncompromising Safety

What is Kashiwazaki-Kariwa?

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station is one of the world‘s largest nuclear power plant. Located in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan, the facility is home to seven reactor units and can generate a total of 8.212 million kilowatts of electricity – enough carbon-free energy to power millions of homes. Following its completion in 1997,

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa played a crucial role in TEPCO’s mission to provide people and businesses in the Tokyo metropolitan area with a stable supply of electricity, while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

In 2011, a massive tsunami triggered a severe accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, on the Pacific side of Japan. Afterward, all nuclear power stations in Japan were shut down, including Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, which was taken fully offline in March 2012.

What is the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station?

A Carbon-Free Response to Growing Demand

Since then, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has undergone multiple inspections and upgrades, and TEPCO’s engineers have been preparing diligently for the day when the reactors can be brought back into service. The plant’s mission is more important than ever, as Japan aims to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa and other nuclear power stations can help meet growing demand for electricity caused by the spread of data centers and other digital-age infrastructure. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, nuclear plants enhance the stability of the entire electricity grid, providing base-load power that complements solar, wind and other weather-dependent renewables.

For all its benefits, nuclear power must above all be safe. As TEPCO works to restart Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, we are guided by an unyielding conviction: to remember the lessons of Fukushima.

Lessons Learned From Fukushima

“Never again” is our mantra. It’s a commitment that Takeyuki Inagaki, superindendent of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, feels deeply: he led the on-site team that responded to the Fukushima Daiichi accident. In Inagaki’s words, “We will never compromise, because we have experienced the Fukushima accident firsthand.” That sentiment is shared by everyone working at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa.

So what are the lessons of Fukushima? In hindsight, three major ones stand out. The first is that the plant was insufficiently protected against tsunamis. The second is that backup systems designed to keep Fukushima Daiichi’s reactors water-cooled in the event of a total loss of power were inadequate. The third is that insufficient provisions had been made to prevent hydrogen explosions and mitigate the discharge of radioactive materials in the event of reactor-core damage. Put simply, the plant fell short on three core principles of nuclear safety: “shutdown,” “cooling,” and “containment.”

Learning from Fukushima

Multi-Layered Safety

At Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the lessons learned at Fukushima Daiichi have been applied in range of ways. New seawalls and watertight doors provide stronger protection against tsunamis. Mobile diesel-powered generators and an expanded fleet of fire trucks stand ready to provide emergency cooling support. Upgraded filtering systems are designed to control the spread of radioactive materials.

Informed by the lessons of Fukushima, we are committed to the principle of multi-layered “defense-in-depth.” Naturally, our goal is to reduce the risk of an accident to the absolute minimum possible. But we are always aware that protective measures can be breached, and we combine wide range countermeasures so that we can safely control the reactors under any circumstances.

Layered Measures – Defense in Depth

Our Top Priority

Before Kashiwazaki-Kariwa can resume operations, it must pass an assessment by the Nuclear Regulation Authority to ensure that it meets new regulatory requirements introduced after the Fukushima accident. Units 6 and 7 of have already passed this review. As we move forward with the next steps in the process – including checking reactor-unit integrity after fuel loading and pre-startup inspections – 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.