Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said on 13 March it will probably delay the start of commercial ‌operations at the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power station because of a minor electricity leak that will temporarily suspend power transmission, according to reports.

Tepco said it had decided on the delay to the restart of Unit 6 after an alarm detected the electricity leak from the generator.

The utility had planned the commercial restart on 18 March, but needs time to investigate the cause of the issue, a company spokesperson said, adding it remains unclear how long the delay would last.