Japan is preparing to restart the world’s largest nuclear plant

Japan took the final step to allow the world’s largest nuclear power plant to resume operations today, a landmark moment in the country’s return to nuclear energy nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, located about 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors that were closed after a massive earthquake and tsunami caused the failure of the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster.

Since then, Japan has restarted 14 of the 33 reactors that are still operational as it tries to dispense with imported fossil fuels.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant will be the first to be operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company, which ran the ill-fated Fukushima plant.

Today, the Niigata Prefectural Legislature voted confidence in Governor Hideo Hanazumi, who supported the resumption of operation last month, effectively allowing the plant to return to operation.

Despite the representatives’ vote in favor of Hanazumi, the most recent session of the Legislative Assembly this year revealed societal divisions over restarting the station despite the new job opportunities it could provide and lower electricity bills.

Outside its headquarters, about 300 demonstrators stood in the cold, holding signs reading “No to nuclear energy,” “We reject the resumption of Kashiozaki-Kariwa operation,” and “Support Fukushima.”

The Japanese Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Tokyo Electric Power Company is considering restarting the first of seven reactors at the station on January 20.

The total capacity of the Kashiozaki-Kariwa plant is 8.2 gigawatts, enough to supply electricity to a few million homes.

The expected resumption of operation would bring one unit with a capacity of 1.36 gigawatts into service next year, then operate another unit with the same capacity around 2030.

“We are firmly committed to not repeating such an incident, and to ensuring that the residents of Niigata do not experience anything similar,” said Masakatsu Takata, a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Company.

Takata declined to comment on the restart date.