{"id":705,"date":"2026-06-11T07:37:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T07:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=705"},"modified":"2026-06-11T07:37:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T07:37:19","slug":"reactor-reboot-at-worlds-largest-nuclear-plant-highlights-flaws-in-japans-radioactive-waste-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=705","title":{"rendered":"Reactor reboot at world\u2019s largest nuclear plant highlights flaws in Japan\u2019s radioactive waste plans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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KASHIWAZAKI, Japan (AP) \u2014 Japan has resumed operations at the world\u2019s largest nuclear power plant to help the country meet huge electricity demands during a global oil crisis, but the reboot highlights a big problem: Japan is running out of space for spent nuclear fuel and has no viable plans for permanent disposal of the radioactive waste.<\/p>\n

Read more G7 summit at Swiss-French border brings tight security in case violent protests occur<\/a><\/p>\n

The restart of No. 6 reactor<\/span> at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station earlier this year was meant to spur a movement to bring more nuclear reactors online. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is one of three plants whose cooling pools will be full in five years, according to the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout solid (fuel management) plans, our power generation will stall sooner or later,\u201d Kashiwazaki-Kariwa General Manager Takeyuki Inagaki said.<\/p>\n

After decades of seeking permanent storage for highly radioactive spent fuel, the government is considering Minamitorishima<\/span>, a remote Pacific island south of Tokyo. But the selection has faced skepticism and criticism stemming from Japan\u2019s arbitrary actions on spent fuel and radioactive waste management.<\/p>\n

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Only 15 of Japan\u2019s 54 reactors have restarted since the March 2011 Fukushima disaster<\/span>, when a 9.0 earthquake off Japan\u2019s northeastern coast and a subsequent tsunami caused meltdowns at three reactors operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, or TEPCO. About 160,000 people fled from Fukushima and some areas remain unlivable.<\/p>\n

Kashiazaki-Kariwa, also run by TEPCO, was shut down after the Fukushima disaster as part of a nationwide nuclear power stoppage.<\/p>\n

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The spent fuel in a cooling pool at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa No. 6 reactor, which is 88% filled, can be seen from a top-floor observation area. TEPCO has installed filtered venting systems and devices to prevent hydrogen explosions among additional safety measures based on lessons from Fukushima.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pushing to bring more nuclear plants online<\/span>, resulting in more spent fuel. Without a viable permanent storage plan, there are worries that reactors will have to close when storage space runs out.<\/p>\n

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Fuel recycling plan has stalled<\/h2>\n

There are two options for dealing with spent nuclear fuel: direct disposal as waste or recycling to extract plutonium and uranium for reuse. <\/p>\n

Japan insists on recycling<\/span>, saying it will help the resource-poor nation\u2019s energy needs while reducing the toxicity and volume of radioactive waste. But a reactor designed for plutonium reuse, a key part of the recycling, has failed. Reprocessing also won\u2019t be able to handle all the spent fuel, adding to a plutonium stockpile that already is large enough to arm thousands of atomic bombs.<\/p>\n

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