Japan has taken a decisive step towards restarting the world’s largest nuclear power plant, after a regional assembly vote cleared the way for operations to resume nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, located around 220 kilometres northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut down following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Since then, Japan has restarted 14 of the 33 reactors still deemed operable as it seeks to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.
On Monday, Niigata’s prefectural assembly passed a vote of confidence in Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who backed the restart last month. The vote effectively removes the final political obstacle to restarting Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, which would be the first nuclear plant to resume operations under Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
“This is a milestone, but this is not the end,” Hanazumi told reporters after the vote, adding that ensuring the safety of local residents remained an ongoing responsibility.
Despite the approval, the debate highlighted deep divisions within the community. Lawmakers opposing the restart criticised the decision as politically driven, while around 300 protesters gathered outside the assembly building holding banners opposing nuclear power and supporting Fukushima residents.
According to NHK, TEPCO is considering reactivating the first of the plant’s seven reactors as early as 20 January. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has a total capacity of 8.2 gigawatts, enough to supply electricity to several million homes. Plans reportedly include bringing one 1.36 GW unit online next year, with another unit of the same capacity targeted around 2030.
“We remain firmly committed to never repeating such an accident and ensuring Niigata residents never experience anything similar,” said TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata, who declined to comment on the restart timeline.
TEPCO shares closed 2% higher in afternoon trading in Tokyo, outperforming the broader Nikkei 225, which gained 1.8%.
