Japan prepares to restart world’s biggest nuclear power plant to boost energy security
Niigata Governor Hanazumi is set to give the approval this week for relaunching production at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility
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.
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.