Unit 6 has undergone safety enhancement construction in compliance with the new regulatory standards and completed pre-operational operator inspections prior to fuel loading. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) granted approval on the same day. Additionally, during a regular press conference on May 22, Kashiwazaki Kariwa Site Director Takeyuki Inagaki reported that “Severe Accident Sequence Training” and “Extensive Damage Response Drill,” aimed at verifying the plant’s preparedness for severe accidents as stipulated in the company’s safety regulations, were conducted from May 13 to 15, and on May 21, respectively.
The fuel loading process at Unit 6 involves inserting control rods and sequentially transferring 872 fuel assemblies individually from the spent fuel pool to the reactor using specialized equipment, a task expected to take approximately two weeks. This step positions Unit 6 to follow Unit 7 (ABWR, 1356 MWe), where preparations for restarting are already in an advanced technical phase. If progress continues smoothly, Unit 6 will be ready for restart as early as August.
TEPCO has stated regarding the fuel loading, “If any issues or challenges are identified, we will pause operations and implement necessary measures.”
