US EditionJapan to Restart Largest Nuclear Plant
Niigata assembly's approval enables Tokyo Electric Power Co to restart operations, potentially boosting Tokyo's electricity supply by 2%, while public opposition remains significant.
- Coming in early 2026, Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi approved the restart of KK's Unit 6, with TEPCO planning to bring it online around Jan 20, 2026, for a soft launch.
- Tokyo has suffered power shortages in recent years, prompting the LDP-led Strategic Energy Plan to stress maximum utilisation of nuclear power as Japan's energy self-sufficiency stands at 15.2 per cent with nuclear at 10.5 per cent, targeting 20 per cent by March 2041.
- Preparing Units 6 and 7, Tokyo Electric Power Company completed 1.2 trillion yen in upgrades including a 15m-tall seawall, 20 backup generator vehicles, 42 truck-mounted fire pumps, and a 20,000 cu m reservoir.
- The plant's 8.2 gigawatt capacity could supply more than 13 million homes, and TEPCO pledged a 100 billion yen fund over 10 years to support Niigata's local economy.
- Despite engaging over 40,000 residents, TEPCO still faces public distrust and local opposition in Niigata, where 50% support and 47% oppose restart, a Dec 11 survey shows.
127 Articles
127 Articles
Japan reopening nuclear plant 15 years after Fukushima
Japan‘s largest nuclear power plant is planning to partially reopen, sparking anxiety in a nation repeatedly traumatized by the technology. The Niigata Prefectural Assembly voted on Monday to resume operations of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant, which was closed alongside over 50 other reactors after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in 2011. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, the utility company that was in charge of the Fukushima plant, wi…
Fifteen years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan wants to prepare to restart the world's largest nuclear power plant.
Japan to Resume Operations at World’s Largest Nuclear Plant 15 Years After Fukushima Disaster
Japan is set to resume operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant, marking a key development in the country’s return to nuclear energy almost 15 years after the Fukushima disaster. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located around 136 miles northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut down after the nuclear disaster that occurred after the crippling of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan in March 2011. The disaster occurred following the …
15 years after the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan's largest nuclear power plant is reactivated.
Japan to reopen world’s largest nuclear reactor
Japan is expected to greenlight the reopening of the world’s largest nuclear power plant today, part of a wider global nuclear renaissance. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was one of 54 reactors shuttered after the 2011 earthquake that triggered the Fukushima meltdown and Tokyo’s — and much of the world’s — pivot away from nuclear. But demand for reliable clean energy has grown, and new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pro-nuclear. Dozens of countries have p…
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