Japanese Nuclear Reactor Shut Down Again After 13-Year Hiatus Following Fukushima

A Japanese nuclear reactor that restarted recently for the first time in over 13 years, after surviving the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami that severely damaged the nearby Fukushima nuclear plant, was shut down again due to an equipment issue, its operator announced, Mazri Yamaguchi reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The reactor was operating normally, and no radiation was released into the environment, Tohoku Electric reassured. I Photo: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa nuclear power plant on Japan’s northern coast was reactivated on Oct. 29 and was expected to start generating power in early November.

However, it was shut down five days after its restart due to a malfunction on Sunday involving a device related to neutron data inside the reactor, according to plant operator Tohoku Electric Power Co.

The reactor was operating normally, and no radiation was released into the environment, Tohoku Electric stated. The utility decided to shut it down to re-inspect the equipment and address safety concerns among local residents.

No new restart date was provided.

The reactor is one of three at the Onagawa plant, located 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, where three reactors melted down following a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, releasing large amounts of radiation.