Japanese authorities approved the decision to reactivate the world’s largest nuclear plant, which remained inactive for more than a decade after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, at a crucial moment for the country, which seeks to diversify its energy matrix, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Despite the apprehension of many local residents, the assembly of Niigata prefecture, where the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant is located, approved this Monday (22) a bill that paves the way for the electric power company Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to restart one of its seven reactors.
The company plans to restart reactor No. 6 around Jan. 20, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.
Japan has taken a cautious approach to nuclear power since a 2011 nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. It was the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.
Following the disaster, the country decommissioned all of its 54 nuclear plants, including Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located in the coastal and port region of Niigata, about 200 miles north of Tokyo on the main island of Honshu.
Since then, Japan has restarted 14 of the 33 nuclear reactors that remain operational, according to the World Nuclear Association.
The Niigata plant will be the first to reopen under the operation of TEPCO, the company that managed the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The organization has strived to reassure residents that the restart plan is safe.
“We remain firmly committed to never repeating an accident like this and to ensuring that the residents of Niigata never experience anything similar,” said TEPCO spokesman Masakatsu Takata, according to Reuters news agency.
Before the Fukushima disaster, Japan’s nuclear power plants provided about 30% of the country’s electricity. Since then, Japan has increased its dependence on imported fossil fuels such as coal and gas to generate power and maintain electricity supplies.
About 60 to 70 percent of Japan’s power generation comes from imported fossil fuels, which cost the country about 10.7 trillion yen ($68 billion) last year alone.
Sanae Takaichi, who took office two months ago, is a strong supporter of nuclear energy and has been committed to revitalizing the sector, which was in crisis, to reduce costs and combat inflation and economic stagnation.
Japan is the fifth largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, after China, the United States, India and Russia, according to the International Energy Agency.
However, the country has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and renewable energy was a central focus of its latest energy plan, published earlier this year, with a push for greater investment in solar and wind power.
The country’s energy demand is also expected to increase in the coming years due to the expansion of data centers, which consume a lot of energy and power the artificial intelligence infrastructure.
To achieve its energy and climate goals, Japan intends to double the share of nuclear energy in its electrical matrix to 20% by 2040.
Fear after Fukushima
But the memory of the Fukushima disaster lingers, and some local residents fear the resumption of nuclear power due to safety concerns.
“We know firsthand the risk of a nuclear accident and we cannot ignore it,” Ayako Oga, 52, told Reuters. Oga settled in Niigata after fleeing the Fukushima disaster.
She told the news agency that her former home was within the exclusion zone and that she still suffers from symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress.
A survey published by Niigata Prefecture in October revealed that 60% of residents did not believe that the conditions for resuming operations had been met. Nearly 70% were concerned about TEPCO operating the plant, according to Reuters.
On its website, TEPCO stated that Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has undergone numerous inspections and modernizations and that the company has learned “the lessons of Fukushima.”
The company said new retaining walls and watertight doors would provide “greater protection against tsunamis” and that mobile generators and more fire trucks would be available for “cooling support” in the event of an emergency.
It also reported that the plant now has “improved filtration systems designed to control the dispersion of radioactive materials.”
In late October, TEPCO carried out “a full round of integrity checks” on Unit 6 and declared the reactor ready to go into operation.
