Japan regional assembly set to vote on restarting nuclear plant amid residents’ accident concerns

KASHIWAZAKI, Japan – A Japanese regional assembly on Dec 2 began deliberations on whether to partially restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, the world’s largest, as the nation seeks to bolster its domestic power sources.

The plant, located around 300km north-east of Tokyo on the coast of the Sea of Japan, also known as East Sea, was shut down after a powerful tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi reactor in 2011. Both are operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

The peaceful coastal area encompassing Kashiwazaki city and Kariwa village, home to around 80,000 people, is gaining attention as

the restart of the plant’s Unit No. 6

would be the first for TEPCO since the Fukushima disaster.

“The use of nuclear energy is essential in Japan, which has few resources,” said TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa on Dec 1 as he gave top delegates from the Japan Business Federation a tour of the plant.

After the Fukushima disaster, Japan shuttered all 54 nuclear reactors in operation at the time, which left it heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said she supports more nuclear relaunches to strengthen energy security and address the cost of imported energy, which accounts for 60 per cent to 70 per cent of Japan’s electricity generation.

TEPCO has been improving safety at its nuclear power business, Mr Kobayakawa said, as around 20 staffers – clad in thick blue hazmat suits – performed safety drills at the plant.

But Mr Yukihiko Hoshino, a member of the Kashiwazaki city assembly, said local residents were concerned about the chances of another nuclear accident.

“The biggest worry is whether they will be able to evacuate,” he said.

He said there are still people who cannot return home to the Fukushima plant area.

The Niigata assembly’s final session of 2025 runs from Dec 2 until Dec 22. TEPCO plans to restart the 1,356MW Unit No. 6 in January, pending the assembly’s vote.

It is not clear when the assembly might vote on the plant’s restart. TEPCO was looking to restart Unit No. 7 later and possibly decommission the other five.

Of the 54 reactors that were in operation before the Fukushima incident,

Japan has restarted 14 of the 33 that remained operable.

On its own, Unit No. 6 could improve the supply situation for the energy-hungry Tokyo area by 2 per cent, according to Japan’s industry ministry.

After years of decline, Japan’s power demand is set to grow thanks to data centre expansions and artificial intelligence-driven businesses.

TEPCO continues to pay compensation for the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. REUTERS