The company explained that Unit 7 will remain in a cold shutdown state, as construction of the specified severe accident response facilities and permanent DC power supply facilities (so-called “special safety facilities”) will not be completed by the statutory deadline of October 13, 2025.
On the same day, TEPCO submitted to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) a revised pre-service inspection application, reflecting adjustments to the schedule and milestones, and formally notified the NRA that the unit will remain in cold shutdown. Moving forward, the company will file additional applications for changes to pre-service inspections in line with construction progress on the special safety facilities.
Although both Unit 6 (ABWR, 1,356 MWe) and Unit 7 have already cleared the NRA’s safety examinations, TEPCO had initially prioritized the restart of Unit 7. With this decision, the company will instead focus on restarting Unit 6. Fuel loading at Unit 6 began in June this year, along with completion of safety upgrade works under the new regulatory standards and pre-service inspections approved by the NRA.
According to TEPCO, the removal of Unit 7’s 872 fuel assemblies will begin in October and take about two weeks, with the assemblies transferred to the spent fuel pool for safer storage.
At his regular press conference on August 29, Niigata Governor HANAZUMI Hideyo commented, “I consider this to be a rational management decision by the operator,” while adding, “The question of Unit 6 versus Unit 7 is not the essence of the debate. The real issue is how the people of Niigata will engage with nuclear power plants,” stressing that the prefecture will continue to assess public opinion.
