Tepco to restart Kashiwazaki-Kariwa No.6 reactor

Spanish Market: Electricity
21/01/26

Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) plans to reactivate its long-idled 1,356MW No.6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant after 19:00 Japan time (10:00 GMT) on 21 January, after completing an inspection of the reactor's control rods.

The Japanese utility has inspected all of the control rods at the No.6 reactor, after it identified errors in some of the control rod settings on 17 January. The company detected that an alarm designed to ensure safe management of the control rods — which are key to regulating nuclear fission — was not working correctly. The settings ensure safe operation of the reactor.

Tepco completed repairs on 18 January, but it decided to check the operation of all control rods as a safety precaution.

Tepco originally aimed to restart the No.6 reactor on 20 January. But it had to postpone the reactivation because of the technical issue.

By Nanami Oki

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

21/01/26

UK, Indonesia to strengthen clean energy collaboration

Singapore, 21 January (Argus) — The UK and Indonesia have agreed to establish an economic growth partnership to facilitate bilateral trade and investment in areas including clean energy. The countries aim to strengthen regulatory co-operation and joint activities for decarbonising supply chains, as well as green financing. The countries have agreed to co-operate on grid connectivity and transmission for the development of Indonesia's "Green Enabling Super Grid" project, according to a statement on 20 January. The project is designed to address the geographic mismatch between renewable energy source centres and demand centres by strengthening the national power grid and developing interconnections. The UK has expertise in electrical grid design, construction, transmission and system operation and will seek to share best practice information on these aspects where possible. In turn, Indonesia will consider the participation of UK businesses in Green Enabling Super Grid projects, such as the Java-Bali connection, the Java-Sumatra connection and other renewable energy projects. The UK can support Indonesia's target to develop 42.6GW of new and renewable energy power plants as outlined in the latter's 10-year power plan (RUPTL) for 2025-34, the statement said, and the countries aim to identify opportunities for UK and Indonesian businesses to participate in related projects. The countries may also discuss potential project finance support, including through UK Export Finance, the UK's export credit agency. "Indonesia and the UK welcome greater participation from financial institutions and private sector players to accelerate Indonesia's transition to renewable energy," the statement said. The UK has partnered with multiple countries including Indonesia under the Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) programme, which is governed and jointly funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Under the Indonesia-UK PACT fund, the UK has agreed to provide £14.2mn ($19.08mn) to support energy efficiency, as well as the development of low-carbon transport. Other areas of co-operation identified in the latest agreement include agricultural trade, transport infrastructure development in Indonesia to lower logistics costs and carbon emissions, and driving economic growth. By Prethika Nair Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Japan's Tepco delays No.6 nuclear reactor reactivation

20/01/26

Japan's Tepco delays No.6 nuclear reactor reactivation

Tokyo, 20 January (Argus) — Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) has decided to postpone the reactivation of its long-idled 1,356MW No.6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant because of a technical issue. Tepco had originally aimed to reactivate the No.6 reactor on 20 January. But on 17 January, the company detected that an alarm designed to ensure the safe management of the control rods — which are key to regulate nuclear fission — was not working correctly. Tepco identified errors in the control rod settings and completed repairs on 18 January. It plans to take one to two days to inspect and ensure safety of all control rods before reactivation. The utility is unsure when it can reactivate the No.6 reactor as it will depend on whether the company can obtain permission from Japan's nuclear regulation authority (NRA). Tepco also said that it can absorb this unexpected delay to restart the plant's commercial operation on 26 February as initially planned, but it could also depend on permission from NRA. The errors in the control rods settings had been present since the No.6 reactor first entered service in 1996. Restarting the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa No.6 reactor would represent a milestone for Tepco's efforts to return nuclear power generation after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, marking the utility's first reactor to be resume operations since the meltdown. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant comprises of seven reactors with a combined capacity of 8,212MW. The No.6 and No.7 units have cleared the stricter post-Fukushima safety inspections. The No.7 unit will be required to remain shut until August 2029 for the installation of anti-terrorism facilities. Under Japan's stricter nuclear regulations, operators are required to build dedicated anti terrorism facilities — known as specified severe accident response facilities or Tokuju — designed to serve as an independent backup in case of deliberate attacks such as an aircraft crash, ensuring reactors can be safely shut down even if main control systems are compromised. The No.7 unit must remain offline until August 2029 to complete installation of these systems, in line with NRA requirements. By Nanami Oki Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Origin extends Australia’s Eraring coal plant to 2029

20/01/26

Origin extends Australia’s Eraring coal plant to 2029

Sydney, 20 January (Argus) — Australian utility and upstream gas firm Origin Energy will continue running the 2,880MW Eraring coal-fired power station in New South Wales (NSW) state until 2029, out from 2027 previously, in the second such extension of the plant's lifetime. Origin's decision comes after the Australian Energy Market Operator's (Aemo) Transition Plan for System Security in December 2025 found that the generator would need to be kept on line beyond its 2027 retirement date due to insufficient replacement capacity. The plant was previously expected to close in 2025 but this was pushed back in 2024, due to insufficient replacement capacity. Keeping Eraring on line until April 2029 will allow for development of more renewables, storage and transmission projects, Origin said in its 20 January announcement. The firm also highlighted "uncertainty regarding the reliability of Australia's aging coal and gas fleet". Origin does not plan to invest in further major maintenance ahead of the plant's closure and will maintain its 2030 target of cutting 20mn t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions by 2030, based on 2018-19 levels. Eraring's scope 1 emissions were 13.5mn t CO2e in the year to 30 June 2025, Origin reported. The company also holds a 27.5pc share of emissions from the 9mn t/yr Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) joint venture in Queensland state where it is the upstream operator of the project. No more subsidies The NSW state government's offer to underwrite Eraring's operations for two years will end in 2027 as previously announced. Australia is attempting to transition its electricity markets to become majority renewables-based. Canberra is focusing on a goal of 82pc renewable grid penetration by 2030. But this timeline is unlikely to be realised due to a slow build out of new transmission to connect wind and solar to the grid, many analysts said, while the 2,200MW Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project — designed to provide longer term storage capacity — has been delayed multiple times due to problems drilling new tunnels. Victoria state, Australia's second largest by population after NSW, is also expected to miss its 2030 renewable energy goal of 65pc generation . Queensland is meanwhile planning to continue to run its coal-fired plants into the 2040s after its state government dumped the previous administration's plans for a giant pumped hydro scheme. Meeting Australia's 2030 emissions reduction target of 43pc below 2005 levels is contingent on the retirement of major CO2 emitters such as Eraring , according to a 2025 government report. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

IMF warns of major risk to growth from US-EU tensions

19/01/26

IMF warns of major risk to growth from US-EU tensions

London, 19 January (Argus) — The IMF has upgraded its global economic growth forecast for 2026 but warned an escalation in trade tensions between the US and Europe is a "major risk." US president Donald Trump on 17 January threatened tariffs on several European countries in a bid to acquire the Danish territory of Greenland. This has raised concerns about a potential trade war between Europe and the US. "If we were to enter a phase in which there would be escalation and tit-for-tat policies… that would certainly have even more of an adverse effect on the economy, both through direct channels, but also through confidence, investment, and potentially through a repricing by [financial] markets," IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said at the launch of the IMF's World Economic Outlook Update (WEO) today. The IMF raised its global growth forecast for 2026 by 0.2 percentage points to 3.3pc, citing improvements in the US and China, and kept its projection for 2027 unchanged at 3.2pc. It puts 2025 economic growth at 3.3pc, from a previous 3.2pc. IMF forecasts are used by many economists to model oil demand projections. The IMF has repeatedly upgraded its growth projections since April 2025 and now sees 2025 and 2026 growth higher than when US-led tariff disruptions started in early 2025. The outlook's economic assumptions are current as of 31 December so do not take into account the US' latest tariff threat against European countries. It assumes an effective tariff rate of 18.5pc for US imports from the rest of the world. Any change to this would be a major risk," Gourinchas said. "This is something that could materially impact growth if we have higher levels of tariffs, if we have higher levels of geopolitical tension." The IMF said the US-led investment boom in AI and strong fiscal stimulus in China and Germany was offsetting economic losses associated with higher tariffs. But Gourinchas warned that debt financing in the AI sector was becoming more prevalent, and this could "amplify shocks if returns failed to materialise." He said any correction in AI stock market valuations would have far reaching negative effects or the global economy. The IMF said fiscal discipline is weakening across the globe, particularly in advanced economies. "The risk here [is] that countries will be unable to face the significant challenges ahead in terms of population aging, climate transition, national security or ability to support the economy, should a large shock occur," Gourinchas said. By Aydin Calik Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Fortescue starts building 133MW Australian wind farm

16/01/26

Fortescue starts building 133MW Australian wind farm

Sydney, 16 January (Argus) — Australian metal and energy producer Fortescue has started building its 133MW Nullagine wind farm in Western Australia to decarbonise its terrestrial iron ore operations by 2030. The 17-turbine wind farm is expected to be completed by mid to late-2027, a Fortescue spokesperson told Argus on 16 January. Fortescue's Nullagine project will help it achieve its 2030 target of zero terrestrial iron ore-related scope 1 and scope 2 CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions. The company generated 2.6mn t of CO2e scope 1 emissions over the July 2024–June 2025 financial year. It expects to surrender 240,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units or Safeguard Mechanism Credits to meet 2024-25 regulatory requirements under the Safeguard Mechanism — Australia's excess carbon pricing scheme. Fortescue will build 2-3GW of renewable generation and storage by 2030 to support its decarbonisation target, it said. The company plans to spend $900mn-1.2bn on decarbonisation investments in 2025-26, with a focus on fleet electrification and renewable energy projects. Fortescue installed a five-hour, 250MWh battery system in Western Australia in December 2025. It is also building a 190MW solar farm at its Cloudbreak mine , which is expected to slash diesel consumption by 125mn litres/yr. "Wind — alongside solar and batteries — provides the dependable, low-cost power we need to electrify our haul trucks, drills, processing plants and rail across the Pilbara," Fortescue Metal and Operation's chief executive office Dino Otranto said. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more