Japan regulators lift operation ban on Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant

Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority announced Wednesday it would lift an operational ban on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture after demanding counterterrorism measures.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. plant had been idle for more than two years while its terror safety measures were upgraded. The country's nuclear watchdog confirmed it had completed inspections on the complex, which contains seven nuclear reactors.

"We have decided to change the classification of nuclear regulatory inspections for TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant and to reconfirm the company's suitability as a reactor installer," the authority said on X, formerly Twitter.

The NRA found that the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was vulnerable to unauthorized entry at multiple locations because of defective intruder detection systems and backups, with security flaws discovered since January 2021.

"The Nuclear Regulation Authority will continue to monitor the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant through inspections and other means."

The plant, which sits off the Sea of Japan, still needs local support before it can become operational again.

"We want [TEPCO] to take this as a starting line and we will request for continuous improvement," NRA Chairman Shinsuke Yamanaka said.

The NRA reaffirmed that TEPCO is qualified as a nuclear power plant operator in the announcement.

"We will continue to check responses taken by TEPCO through our regular inspections," NRA Chairman Shinsuke Yamanaka told an authority meeting.