The governor of Niigata Prefecture, Japan, has approved the restart of some units atthe Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, which has the world's largest installedcapacity. The nuclear power plant has a total capacity of 8.212 GW. The two units restarted this time have a combined installed capacity of 2.71 GW, accounting for aboutone-third of the plant's total capacity. In October 2025, Tokyo Electric Power Company completed the fuel loading inspection of the No. 6 reactor, which was prioritizedfor restart, confirming that its major systems were functioning properly. If the restart issuccessful, this will be the company's first reactor restart since the Fukushima DaiichiNuclear Power Plant was damaged by a tsunami in 2011. Following the Fukushima accident, Japan shut down all 54 operating reactors, making its electricity supply heavilydependent on the import of fossil fuels. The government has placed high expectations onthis restart to address the vulnerability of power supply in eastern Japan. Accordingly, ithas pledged to fully fund the construction of evacuation routes and requested additionalbudget for restart-related public campaigns. However, the decision has sparked significant public controversy: over 60% of residents in Niigata Prefecture are concerned aboutsafety risks from extreme disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Environmental organizations have repeatedly protested, raising concerns about the transparency of the decision-making process.
Source: Reuters, FT
