Japan approves restart of the world's largest nuclear power plant for the first time since the Fukushima accident

The world's largest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Japan, is to resume operations by the end of March. The plant will restart for the first time since it was shut down in 2012 due to the Fukushima Daiichi disaster the governor of Niigata Prefecture approved the project, writes Nikkei.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP with an installed capacity of 8.2 GW, consisting of seven reactors, has been idle since 2012 due to resistance from the local population and distrust in TEPCO's ability to manage the plant without accidents.

Niigata Governor Hidei Hanazumi has given the green light to the sixth and seventh units of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, which Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) operates alongside the now-shuttered Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daiichi NPPs.

These units were certified by the national Nuclear Regulatory Authority in 2017 in accordance with updated safety standards. Niigata Prefecture also conducted its own safety review and approved it in February.

To resume operations, the plant still needs the approval of the prefectural assembly, which is scheduled to open on December 2.

The government hopes that the reopening of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will pave the way for the restart of other nuclear power plants in eastern Japan, the region most affected by the Fukushima accident.

Re-starting more reactors will be essential to reduce Japan's dependence on fossil fuels and suppliers such as Russia, and to help Japan achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

• In 2022, Japan adopted legislative changes that allow reactors to operate up to 60 years. However, new installations are estimated to take two decades from the initial study to completion.
• In July 2025, Kansai Electric Power announced the resumption of research for the construction of a new reactor at the Mihama NPP.