Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has decided against lifting an order that forbids the movement of fuel at the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power station, which acts as an effective ban on the facility’s operation.
The ban will remain in place until owner and operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) demonstrates full compliance with a list of 27 areas of safety, four of which have been flagged for various issues.
While Units 6 and 7 at the seven-unit Kashiwazaki Kariwa, in Niigata Prefecture, western Japan, have passed inspection by the NRA, the problems leading to the current shutdown were caused by concerns over the facility’s management, in particular its security arrangements.