Japan moves to restart the world's biggest nuclear plant 15 years after Fukushima

The Japanese region of Niigata is expected to endorse a decision to restart the world's largest nuclear power plant on Monday, 15 years after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. 

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 220 kilometers (136 miles) northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut after a massive earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. 

Since then, Japan has restarted 14 of the 33 reactors that remain operable, as it tries to wean itself off imported fossil fuels. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will be the first operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), which ran the doomed Fukushima plant. 

If approved, TEPCO is considering reactivating the first of seven reactors at the plant on January 20, public broadcaster NHK reported. TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata declined to comment on timing. 

Earlier this year, TEPCO pledged to inject 100 billion yen ($641 million) into the prefecture over the next 10 years as it sought to win the support of Niigata residents. However, many locals remain wary. 

On Monday, the prefecture's assembly will cast a vote of confidence on Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, a de facto ballot on his support for the restart. The vote is seen as the final hurdle before TEPCO restarts the first reactor, which alone could boost electricity supply to the Tokyo area by 2 percent, Japan's trade ministry has estimated. 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office two months ago, has backed nuclear restarts to strengthen energy security and counter the cost of imported fossil fuels, which account for 60 to 70 percent of Japan's electricity generation. 

Japan spent 10.7 trillion yen ($68 billion) last year on imported liquefied natural gas and coal, a tenth of its total import costs.

Despite its shrinking population, the country expects energy demand to rise over the coming decade due to a boom in power-hungry AI data centers. The Japanese government has set a target of doubling the share of nuclear power in its electricity mix to 20 percent by 2040. 

In July, Kansai Electric Power, Japan's top nuclear power operator, said it would begin conducting surveys for a reactor in western Japan – the first new unit since the Fukushima disaster.

(With input from Reuters)