Japan is edging closer to authorizing the reactivation of the globe's most sizable nuclear power plant—the first time it would be in use since the catastrophic 2011 Fukushima event.
Hideyo Hanazumi, head of the Niigata prefecture where the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa atomic station is located, announced he has given the green light for the partial restart.
The initiative to restart activities at the station, run by the Tepco utility firm, requires authorization from the prefecture's government assembly and the nation's atomic regulatory agency before it can proceed.
Assuming consent is granted, it would be the initial instance the utility company would be authorized to resume reactor functioning in Japan since its Fukushima facility experienced a meltdown following a tsunami.
Regional Inhabitants Divided on Restart
Residents in Niigata are divided over whether the plant should be restarted or not.
Hanazumi told a news conference on the end of the week that his ruling would be discussed in December at a prefectural government assembly, where he would pursue the body's consent.
The approval would be for the resumption of functioning at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant's Reactor 6, subsequently the seventh reactor.
Context and Business Recovery Strategy
The recommencement of functioning at the station is part of Tepco's business reconstruction plan after the Fukushima catastrophe, which was caused by a powerful seismic event and enormous surge.
When the plant's reactors were submerged by the tsunami, it led to radiation to leak out and required numerous residents to be relocated from the zone.
The Japanese government directed all its nuclear station cores to be shut down in that year following the incident. Since then, fourteen units have been reactivated.
The company was instructed to pay trillions of Japanese yen in damages to those impacted and is also funding the station's closure expenditures.
Local Opinion and Concerns
A study issued by the local government in the previous month showed that half of its residents supported the plant's restart, while nearly half were in disagreement. It also suggested that almost 70% of people in the prefecture were concerned about the company operating the station.
Energy Targets and Future
The recent ruling shows a desire among some in Japan to progress to increased use of atomic power to cut reliance on traditional energy sources, as the country pursues a goal of carbon neutrality.
