Japan has taken a significant step towards resuming operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant following a regional vote on Monday. This decision marks a crucial moment in the country’s gradual return to nuclear energy nearly 15 years after the catastrophic Fukushima disaster.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, situated approximately 220 kilometers (136 miles) northwest of Tokyo, was one of 54 reactors that were shut down after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami devastated the Fukushima Daiichi facility, leading to the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Since then, Japan has successfully restarted 14 of the 33 operable reactors, as the nation seeks to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels.
With this recent decision, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will become the first nuclear power plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the company responsible for the ill-fated Fukushima plant. The Niigata prefecture assembly passed a vote of confidence for Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who had supported the restart, effectively paving the way for the plant’s operations to recommence.
“This is a milestone, but this is not the end,” Hanazumi stated to reporters after the vote, emphasizing the ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety of Niigata residents. Nonetheless, the assembly session highlighted the community’s divisions regarding the restart, despite the potential benefits of job creation and reduced electricity costs.
Opposition voices expressed their concerns during the assembly session, criticizing the decision as a political compromise that neglected the perspectives of Niigata residents. Outside the assembly, around 300 protesters rallied against the restart, holding signs that conveyed messages such as “No Nukes” and “Support Fukushima.”
“I am truly angry from the bottom of my heart,” remarked Kenichiro Ishiyama, a 77-year-old protester. He emphasized that if any issues were to arise at the plant, it would be the local community that would bear the consequences.
Reports indicate that TEPCO is planning to reactivate the first of seven reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility on January 20. The plant boasts a total capacity of 8.2 gigawatts, sufficient to provide electricity for several million homes. The initial restart could bring one 1.36 GW unit online next year, with another unit of the same capacity anticipated to follow around 2030.
“We remain firmly committed to never repeating such an accident and ensuring Niigata residents never experience anything similar,” affirmed TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata, although he refrained from discussing specific timelines for the restart. Following the announcement, TEPCO’s shares saw a 2% increase during afternoon trading in Tokyo, outperforming the wider Nikkei index, which rose by 1.8%.
The decision to resume operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant represents a complex intersection of energy needs and public sentiment, reflecting Japan’s ongoing balancing act between energy security and community safety.
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