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Reuters

The Japanese governor overseeing the region that is home to the world’s largest nuclear power plant is set to give the approval this week for its restart, the Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday.
The approval will clear one of the remaining milestones in Tokyo Electric Power Company’s quest to bring the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant back online, more than a decade after the Fukushima nuclear disaster led to its shutdown.
Niigata prefecture Governor Hideyo Hanazumi is set to announce his approval to partially resume Kashiwazaki-Kariwa as early as Friday, Kyodo said, citing multiple unnamed sources in the prefecture government.
Hanazumi will consult the prefectural assembly on his decision during its regular session beginning on December 2. If the assembly endorses his decision, he is expected to respond to the national government’s request to approve the restart, the Nikkei business daily said.
Tepco is planning to bring online the two biggest units of the plant, No 6 and No 7, which can together produce 2,710 megawatts of electricity and possibly decommission some of the remaining five units. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa’s total capacity is 8,212MW.
In October, Tepco finished checks at reactor No 6 after fuel loading, saying at the time it had confirmed that the main systems required for reactor start-up were operating properly.
The company has also pledged 100 billion yen (US$644 million) to support local communities to gain support for the restart, which Tepco has sought for many years despite some local opposition.


If approved, the restart would be in line with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s plans to support more nuclear restarts to strengthen energy security.
Partial restoration of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant would also help to cut liquefied natural gas import costs for Japan, the world’s second-biggest LNG buyer after China, as Takaichi’s government is prioritising bringing down the cost of living.
As of the end of October, Japan has restarted 11 reactors with a total capacity of 10,647MW.
Before the Fukushima disaster, Japan’s utilities operated 54 reactors in total. Tepco continues to pay out large amounts of compensation following the reactor meltdown in 2011.


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Asia

East Asia

Niigata Governor Hanazumi is set to give the approval this week for relaunching production at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility


Niigata Governor Hanazumi is set to give the approval this week for relaunching production at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility.


Fukushima nuclear disaster and water release

Sanae Takaichi

Energy

Japan prepares to restart world’s biggest nuclear power plant to boost energy security

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Niigata Governor Hanazumi is set to give the approval this week for relaunching production at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility

Niigata Governor Hanazumi is set to give the approval this week for relaunching production at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility