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2h ago

Niigata Governor Backs TEPCO’s First Reactor Restart Since Fukushima at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa

The next step is endorsement by the prefectural assembly followed by nuclear regulator permission.

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Local Japanese authorities have approved the restart of the world's biggest nuclear power facility, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster
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Overview

  • Governor Hideyo Hanazumi announced approval on Friday to restart Unit 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex, the world’s largest nuclear plant.
  • If the prefectural assembly agrees and the Nuclear Regulation Authority grants final permission, TEPCO could return the unit to service before the fiscal year ends in March.
  • TEPCO has pledged about ¥100 billion to Niigata for local revitalization and says it will consider scrapping the site’s older Units 1 and 2.
  • A recent survey showed roughly 50% support and 47% opposition to the restart, with nearly 70% expressing concern about TEPCO operating the reactor.
  • The plant has added a 15-metre tsunami wall and elevated backup power systems, and a 2021 regulator ban tied to security lapses was lifted in December 2023.