Japan's Energy Security Hinged on Restart of Niigata Nuclear Power Station

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Niigata Prefecture Governor Hideyo Hanazumi has expressed his willingness to approve the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station. A key to Japan's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa supplies power to Tokyo and Northeast Japan, playing a vital role for energy security, but it has been offline since the 2011 earthquake, the plant is located in Niigata and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

Hanazumi's decision should pave the way for the restart of the world's largest nuclear power plant. Local approval for restarting the reactors has been a longstanding issue. All seven nuclear reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa have been shut down since 2012, following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident.

Governor Hanazumi is the individual with ultimate responsibility in the prefecture. Although he has been far too cautious and took too long, we commend Hanazumi for his proactive decision.

Next, in December, the Niigata Prefectural Assembly must approve the plan. The mayors of Kashiwazaki City and Kariwa Village have already expressed their approval. Nonetheless, with Hanazumi's announcement, the biggest hurdle regarding local consent has been overcome.

Next Steps

Appreciation should also go to TEPCO employees and partner companies. Their tireless efforts to strengthen safety measures and carry out various construction work at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant made the decision possible.

Once all the required procedures are completed, TEPCO will begin work to start running Unit 6. This is an advanced boiling water reactor with an output of 1.356 million kilowatts. The reactor has already been preloaded with uranium fuel. Therefore, it is expected to begin commercial operation within this fiscal year (which ends March 31, 2026).

*Tokyo Electric Power Company's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture on November 7.*

Once Unit 6 is operational, TEPCO is expected to improve its financial balance by ¥100 billion JPY ($640 million USD) per year. That in turn will have a major positive effect on the company, which is suffering huge losses due to the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Power from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant will support the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Unit 6, the first of TEPCO's reactors to come back online since the earthquake, will reduce the risk of power shortages that threaten the nation's core functions.

At the same time, the restart will pave the way for a reduction in the company's electricity rates. These are currently higher than those of Kansai Electric and Kyushu Electric Power companies. Both companies have already made progress in restarting their nuclear power plants.

Ensuring Japan's Economic Security

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plays a vital role in supplying power to the Kanto and northeast region, including Tokyo. All of its reactors have been offline for over 13-1/2 years because of the earthquake and ensuing nuclear accident.

Another reason for the long-term shutdown was the Nuclear Regulation Authority's de facto ban on operations issued in April 2021. That was issued in response to the misuse of identification cards by power plant staff and remained in effect for more than two years.

Going forward, TEPCO must focus on ensuring rigorous on-site management to prevent any further problems from occurring. Stumbling just before reaching the finish line on restarting Unit 6 would be unforgivable. The power company should also make haste to restart Unit 7.

TEPCO must proceed with firm resolve to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, knowing that Japan's energy security depends on it.