TEPCO Faces Setback as Reactor Malfunction Forces Shutdown

Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) has halted operations at the No.6 reactor of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station after a malfunction was detected. The shutdown comes just a day after the reactor went online for the first time in about 14 years, following another alarm issue.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. has temporarily halted operations at the No.6 reactor of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant after identifying a malfunction early Thursday. An alarm was activated as a result of issues during the extraction of control rods, prompting immediate action.

Takeyuki Inagaki, the station's superintendent, announced a suspension of operations to thoroughly investigate the source of the malfunction. Attempts to repair the situation by replacing electrical components in the control rod monitoring panel were unsuccessful.

Having restarted the reactor just a day earlier, TEPCO is yet to determine the length of the investigation or when operations might resume. This incident follows nearly 14 years after it was last online in addition to alarming investors as TEPCO's shares fell by 3.5%.

(With inputs from agencies.)