TEPCO Faces Setback as Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Reactor Shuts Down

Tokyo Electric Power's No.6 reactor at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant shut down due to a malfunction, just a day after being reactivated for the first time in over 13 years, following the Fukushima disaster. The incident prompts an investigation, impacting TEPCO's stock performance.

Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) faced an unexpected challenge when its No.6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant was shut down due to a malfunction. This incident occurred just a day after the reactor was reactivated for the first time in more than 13 years, following the Fukushima disaster.

An alarm sounded in the early hours of Thursday as technicians were working to withdraw control rods from the reactor. TEPCO issued a statement outlining the incident and their decision to halt operations to investigate the cause. The company has yet to announce a timeline for restarting the reactor.

The No.6 unit had only been back online since Wednesday, marking TEPCO's first venture into nuclear power resumption post-Fukushima. This hiccup, combined with the delay from an earlier alarm malfunction, has impacted TEPCO's market standing, with shares falling by 3.5%, contrasting with a 1.7% gain in the Nikkei share average.

(With inputs from agencies.)