Japan Approves Restart of Largest Nuclear Power Plant Since Fukushima Disaster
Local authorities in Niigata Prefecture in western Japan approved on Friday the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to reintegrate nuclear energy into the grid following the 2011 Fukushima disaster. However, the plant’s operation remains pending final approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Hideyo Hanazumi, the governor of Niigata Prefecture, said during a press conference that he had granted the necessary local approval for resuming operations at the plant, noting that the decision awaits federal endorsement before the actual restart.
Japan largely abandoned nuclear energy after the Fukushima incident, which resulted from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, prompting the authorities to shut down all nuclear reactors and subject them to new safety standards. Since then, 14 reactors across the country have been restarted after meeting the safety requirements.
This step marks the first restart of a nuclear power plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)—the operator of the Fukushima plant—since the disaster more than 14 years ago.
