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Japan is preparing to restart World’s largest nuclear power plantafter about 15 years 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster Due to which reactors had to be closed across the country.
The giant Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in northwestern Niigata Prefecture was one of 54 reactors shut down after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
Japan is now eyeing a return to nuclear power as it tries to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels, and has restarted 14 of its 33 operable reactors.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 220 km northwest of Tokyo, has a total capacity of 8.2 gigawatts, enough to power several million homes.
A vote at the regional assembly in Niigata on Monday cleared the final political hurdle to reopening the plant. The assembly passed a vote of confidence in Governor Hideo Hanazumi, who supported the restart last month.
“This is a milestone, but it is not the end,” Mr. Hanazumi told reporters after the vote. “There is no end in sight when it comes to ensuring the safety of Niigata residents.”
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will be the first plant to restart under Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which also operated Fukushima.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that Tepco was considering reactivating the first of seven reactors at the site on January 20. According to Reuters, a 1.36-GW unit could come online next year, while another unit of the same capacity is planned for around 2030.
TEPCO spokesman Masakatsu Takata said, “We are firmly committed to preventing such an accident from happening again and ensuring that Niigata residents never have a similar experience.” He declined to comment on the timing of the restart.
The vote highlighted sharp divisions within Niigata, where many residents are skeptical of the reopening despite promises of jobs and potentially lower power bills.
An assembly member opposing the restart said during the session, “This is nothing more than a political compromise that does not take into account the will of Niigata residents.”
Outside the assembly building, about 300 people protested against the decision, holding banners that read, “No nukes”, “We oppose restarting Kashiwazaki-Kariwa” and “Support Fukushima”.
“I’m really angry in my heart,” Kenichiro Ishiyama, a 77-year-old protester from Niigata city, told Reuters after the vote. “If something happens at the plant, we will suffer the consequences.”
The proposed restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has been postponed for years due to extensive safety upgrades and strict safety regulations introduced after Fukushima, including measures to prevent deliberate attacks on nuclear facilities.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) was established after Fukushima with strong safety standards and independent monitoring. Utilities must clear regulatory inspections and local approvals before restarting.
A survey published by Niigata earlier this year found that 60 percent of residents did not think conditions for a restart were met, while nearly 70 percent said they were particularly concerned about Tepco’s operation of the plant.
One of the protesters, 52-year-old Ayako Oga, told Reuters she moved to Niigata after fleeing the area around the Fukushima plant in 2011, when about 160,000 people were evacuated. His former home was in the 20 km exclusion zone.
“We know firsthand the danger of a nuclear accident and cannot rule it out,” he told the news agency. She said she is still struggling with post-traumatic stress-like symptoms. She joined the protest outside the Assembly on Monday.
Even Governor Hanazumi has said that he hopes Japan will eventually reduce its reliance on nuclear power. “I want to see an era where we don’t have to rely on energy sources that cause concern,” he said last month.
However, at the national level, the government is investing in nuclear energy as part of its energy security strategy. Prime Minister Sanae Takachi, who took office two months ago, has backed the move as Japan grapples with high fuel costs.
Japan is planning Increase public funding for nuclear power plants Upgrades and new reactors, not just restarts. It includes loans that can cover 30-50 percent of project costs to help utilities meet safety standards and invest in new construction.
Even before the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, Japan’s nuclear output is at its highest level since Fukushima, with fossil fuel production on the way down. Clean energy (including renewable) production also increased in 2025.
Imported fossil fuels currently account for 60 to 70 percent of Japan’s electricity generation. The country spent 10.7 trillion yen (£50.7 billion) on imported liquefied natural gas and coal last year, about one-tenth of its total import bill.
Energy demand is also expected to increase in the coming decade due to the growth of data centers and artificial intelligence systems. To meet those needs while cutting emissions, Japan aims to double the share of nuclear power in its electricity mix to 20 percent by 2040.
However, for critics, the return to nuclear power is inseparable from the lessons of Fukushima.
Ms. Oga said, “As a victim of the Fukushima nuclear accident, I want no one in Japan or anywhere in the world to have to suffer the loss of a nuclear accident again.”
Additional reporting by agencies