Japan's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant could restart in January

[TOKYO] Japan’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s biggest, could be restarted as soon as January pending consent from regional authorities, the plant’s director was quoted as saying by Jiji news agency on Thursday (Nov 27).

A Japanese regional governor last week gave the green light for a partial restart of the plant, as Japan tries to revive its nuclear sector and reduce fossil fuel imports. The Niigata prefecture assembly is set to vote on his decision during its regular session beginning on Dec 2.

If the consent process is completed by the end of the year, it will be possible to restart the plant’s Unit No 6, one of the two biggest at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, as early as January, Jiji quoted director Takeyuki Inagaki as saying.

After the assembly’s approval, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator, would apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a pre-use confirmation of the Unit 6. The process usually takes between three weeks to a month, Inagaki said.

The restart, if approved by the regional assembly, would be first for TEPCO after a nuclear disaster at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011 for which it continues to pay compensation. REUTERS