A Japanese regional governor is expected to say on Friday whether he will allow a partial restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s biggest, as Japan tries to revive its nuclear sector and reduce fossil fuel imports.
Approval by Niigata Prefecture Governor Hideyo Hanazumi would remove the last major hurdle for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co to go ahead with plans to restart one or two of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa’s biggest reactors.
A restart would be the first for TEPCO since the March 2011 tsunami destroyed its Fukushima Daiichi power plant. It would also be a breakthrough for Japan, which, after the disaster shut all 54 nuclear reactors in operation at the time, leaving it heavily reliant on fossil fuel import,s vulnerable to production shocks and supply disruptions.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office last month, has said she supports more nuclear relaunches to strengthen energy security and to address the cost of imported energy, which accounts for 60% to 70% of Japan’s electricity generation.
