Companies

TEPCO Aims to Restart Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Reactor on Jan. 20; 1st TEPCO Plant to Resume Operations since 2011 Fukushima Disaster

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:01 JST, December 23, 2025

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. has decided a plan to restart the No. 6 reactor of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata Prefecture on Jan. 20, it was learned Tuesday.

TEPCO plans to apply to the Nuclear Regulation Authority for the “pre-service confirmation” required to resume operations as early as Wednesday. If approved, it will be the first TEPCO reactor to resume operation since the 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

On Tuesday, Niigata Gov. Hideyo Hanazumi met with Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa and officially conveyed local consent to the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station.

Hanazumi expressed his intention to approve the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant on Nov. 21. He submitted a supplementary budget proposal including nuclear-related PR costs, effectively putting his decision to the prefectural assembly for deliberation.

The proposal was passed by the prefectural assembly on Monday, completing the local consent process required for the restart.