Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) began power generation and transmission on a trial basis on Monday from a reactor at the world’s largest nuclear power plant as it prepared to resume nuclear power supply for the first time in nearly 14 years, Kyodo News Agency reported.
The company, still dealing with the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, plans to start full-scale transmission from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant’s No. 6 reactor on March 18.
In late January, the No. 6 reactor became TEPCO’s first to restart since the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex triggered by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.
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The turbine began operating on Sunday evening, and electricity transmission started early on Monday after no problems were detected.
During the trial, TEPCO will repeatedly disconnect and reconnect the generator while gradually raising output from 20 percent to full capacity. The reactor last transmitted electricity in March 2012 before shutting down for routine inspections.