Japan to restart the world’s biggest nuclear power plant, 15 years after Fukushima disaster

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🗞️ Driving the news: Japan has approved the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility, more than 15 years after the Fukushima disaster
• The Niigata prefectural assembly cleared the way for Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to bring one reactor back online as early as January, marking a major shift in Japan’s energy policy

🔭 The context: After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi meltdown, Japan shut down all 54 nuclear reactors and turned heavily to imported fossil fuels
• Only 14 reactors have since restarted
• This will be the first reopened under TEPCO, the operator of Fukushima, making public trust and safety assurances central to the decision

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Restarting nuclear capacity could significantly cut Japan’s reliance on coal and gas, reducing emissions in one of the world’s top five CO₂-emitting countries
• Nuclear power offers stable, low-carbon baseload electricity, especially as energy demand rises from data centers and electrification
• However, public opposition underscores the need to balance climate goals with social acceptance and long-term safety governance

⏭️ What’s next: TEPCO plans to activate Kashiwazaki-Kariwa’s Unit 6 in early 2026, pending final operational checks
• The restart may pave the way for additional reactors nationwide as Japan targets nuclear power to supply 20% of its electricity by 2040, alongside expanded renewables

💬 One quote: “We remain firmly committed to never repeating such an accident,” said TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata

📈 One stat: Before Fukushima, nuclear energy supplied around 30% of Japan’s electricity; today, 60–70% comes from imported fossil fuels

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