Tokyo prepares to restart Kashiwazaki Nuclear Plant after 15 yrs.

December 22, 2025 / 11:59 PM

Sharjah 24 – WAM: Japan has removed the final hurdle to restarting the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s largest, after the Niigata prefectural assembly approved the move on Monday. The decision marks a significant shift in Japan’s energy policy, 15 years after the Fukushima disaster.

Background of the shutdown

Located about 220 kilometres northwest of Tokyo, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was shut down as part of a nationwide suspension of all 54 nuclear reactors following the earthquake and tsunami that struck the Fukushima Daiichi plant, triggering the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

Plans for reactor restart

The approval clears the way for Tokyo Electric Power Company, which also operates the damaged Fukushima plant, to restart the first of the facility’s seven reactors on January 20. The reactor has a capacity of 1.36 gigawatts and is part of efforts to reduce Japan’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Capacity and energy outlook

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant has a total capacity of 8.2 gigawatts, enough to supply electricity to millions of homes. Plans are in place to bring an additional unit online by 2030, adding to the 14 reactors that Japan has already restarted out of the 33 reactors deemed operable nationwide.