Japan Restarts Reactor at World’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant After 15 Years

Japan on Monday restarted a nuclear reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility, the world’s largest nuclear power plant by capacity, marking a major step in the country’s return to nuclear energy after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) confirmed that Reactor No. 6 was brought back online following safety checks, after a failed restart attempt in January due to an alarm system fault. 

Commercial power generation is expected to begin around March 18, pending further inspections.

The restart is part of Japan’s strategy to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, meet rising electricity demand, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. 

However, the move remains controversial, with strong local opposition citing seismic risks despite TEPCO’s assurances of enhanced safety measures.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa had been fully offline since 2011, and its revival underscores the renewed role nuclear power is expected to play in Japan’s future energy mix.