Japan restarts world’s biggest nuclear plant again

February 09, 2026 / 12:59 PM

Sharjah24 - AFP: Japan switched on the world’s largest nuclear power plant on Monday after an earlier restart attempt was halted due to a minor glitch. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata restarted at 2:00 pm (0500 GMT). A January alarm issue had forced the suspension of its first restart since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Background and energy shift

The plant has been offline since Japan shut down nuclear power following the earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima meltdowns. Japan is now turning back to nuclear energy to cut fossil fuel use, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and meet rising energy demand from artificial intelligence.

Political support

Conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who won a decisive election victory on Sunday, has strongly promoted nuclear power to revitalise Japan’s economy.

Safety measures and next steps

TEPCO said the January alarm detected minor electrical changes within safe limits. The alarm settings have since been adjusted. Commercial operations are expected to begin on or after March 18, following another comprehensive inspection.