In a historic move marking a radical shift in Japanese energy policy, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), operator of the world's largest nuclear power plant, announced that the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant will resume operations on Wednesday. This decision ends a long shutdown that began after the tragic Fukushima disaster in 2011, despite ongoing public debate and concerns regarding safety standards.
In an official statement, the company explained the precise details of the process, noting that the technical teams are continuing the final preparations for operating the reactor, where the control rods are scheduled to be removed after 7:00 PM local time (10:00 GMT), which is the first and essential step to start the nuclear chain reaction and generate power.
A gradual return amid societal division
The plant will not return to full capacity immediately, as the initial restart process will involve only one of the seven reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant. This plant holds global strategic importance as the largest in terms of total installed generating capacity, making its return to operation a significant event in the international energy sector.
The move was given the green light after the governor of Niigata Prefecture (central-western Japan), the region where the plant is located, approved it last month. However, the decision still faces significant public opposition; a poll conducted by local authorities last September revealed that 60% of residents oppose restarting operations, compared to only 37% in favor, reflecting the deep gap between government policy and public concerns.
The Shadows of the Fukushima Disaster and the Historical Context
This event cannot be separated from the painful historical context Japan has experienced. In March 2011, a devastating earthquake and a massive tsunami struck the Japanese coast, triggering a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. This triple disaster prompted the Japanese government to shut down all its nuclear reactors to review safety standards, plunging the country into an energy crisis and increasing its dependence on costly fossil fuel imports.
Despite the bitter cold, dozens of protesters, mostly elderly people who had lived through the aftermath of previous disasters, gathered near the station's entrance on the Sea of Japan coast on Tuesday, holding signs denouncing the decision and expressing their concern about a repeat of past scenarios, demanding stricter safety guarantees.
Economic motives and strategic shifts
The return to nuclear power is driven by Japan's urgent need to bolster its energy security. Tokyo is striving to reduce its over-reliance on imported gas and oil, particularly in light of global geopolitical volatility. The government also aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, a goal difficult to attain relying solely on conventional or volatile renewable energy sources.
Furthermore, a new factor has emerged that is putting pressure on the electricity grid: the enormous increase in demand caused by artificial intelligence data centers and advanced technologies. The political leadership, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has expressed its strong support for the use of nuclear power for civilian purposes as a cornerstone of Japan's economic stability and technological future.
