World’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant Set to Restart in Japan After 15 Years

Japan is preparing to restart the world’s largest nuclear power plant after a 15-year shutdown, a move aimed at strengthening energy security and reducing dependence on imported fuel, authorities said on Wednesday. The development was reported by Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced that it is completing final preparations to bring a reactor back online at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture. “We are making all necessary preparations and plan to start up the reactor this evening,” the company said, while stressing that safety concerns remain a top priority.
The restart has triggered protests from anti-nuclear activists, who argue that the decision is risky in a country prone to major earthquakes. “We cannot rule out the possibility of another massive earthquake in the future. There is no justification for putting people at risk simply to generate electricity,” one protester said.
Initially, only one of the plant’s seven reactors will be restarted. When fully operational, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility is expected to generate up to 8.2 gigawatts of electricity—enough to supply power to millions of households across Japan.
TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa said nuclear safety must be treated as an ongoing process. He warned that operators should never become overconfident or complacent in managing reactors.
The restart had earlier been delayed due to alarm system malfunctions at the plant, but TEPCO said those technical issues have now been resolved. Meanwhile, around 40,000 people have signed a petition opposing the reopening, citing concerns that the facility is located near active geological fault lines.
Following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan shut down all 54 of its nuclear reactors. Since then, only 15 of the 33 reactors deemed restart-ready have resumed operations. The government is now pushing to revive nuclear energy as part of its broader strategy to curb reliance on fossil fuels and compensate for the slow expansion of wind power projects.