World's Largest Nuclear Power Plant Expected to Restart
2025-12-22 17:00:00 / News
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, located approximately 220 km (136 miles) northwest of Tokyo, was among the 54 reactors shut down following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that led to the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. This was reported by Reuters.
Since then, Japan has been working to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels, having already restarted 14 out of 33 currently operational plants. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will be the first plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) to be brought back online since the Fukushima incident.
The Niigata Prefecture Assembly passed a vote of confidence in Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who expressed support for the plant's restart last month, effectively clearing the way for operations. While lawmakers backed Hanazumi, the final assembly session of the year exposed deep public divisions. Despite promises of new jobs and lower electricity bills, many remain skeptical.
"This is nothing more than a political deal that ignores the will of the people of Niigata," said an assembly member opposed to the restart as the voting began.
According to NHK public television, TEPCO is considering restarting the first of the seven reactors on January 20. "We are firmly determined to never let such an accident happen again and to ensure that the people of Niigata never face a similar situation," said TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata.
In an effort to win public support, TEPCO promised earlier this year to invest 100 billion yen ($641 million) in the prefecture over the next 10 years. However, a survey published by the prefecture in October revealed that 60% of residents believe the conditions for a restart have not been met, and nearly 70% express concern over TEPCO's management of the plant.