Its regulatory authorities Japan which oversees nuclear power have lifted an operating ban imposed on Tokyo Electric Power's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant two years ago, allowing it to proceed with the steps it needs to obtain permission from local authorities to restart operations of.
Tepco is seeking to restart the largest nuclear power plant in the world to reduce its operating costs, but its reopening still needs the consent of the local authorities of Niigata prefecture, Kashiwazaki city and Kariowa village, where it is located.
It remains unknown when this might happen.
The 8,212 megawatt (MW) plant has been out of service since 2012, following the Fukushima disaster the year before, which shut down all nuclear power plants in Japan.
Then in 2021, Japan's nuclear regulator NRA banned Tepco from operating the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, its only operating nuclear plant, for safety violations, including failing to protect nuclear materials and errors that in one case allowed an unauthorized member of staff to access sensitive areas of the station.
Citing improvements in its safety management system, the NRA today won a remedial action order barring Tepco from bringing new nuclear fuel to the plant or installing nuclear rods in its reactors – effectively ruling out a restart.
After this decision, Tepco announced that it will continue its efforts to regain the trust of the local community and society in general, while the minister of the presidency announced that the government will proceed with the necessary actions from its side to help procedure.
“The government will seek the understanding and cooperation of Niigata Prefecture and local communities, emphasizing 'safety first,'” said chief government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Resource-starved Japan is seeking to restart its nuclear power plants to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The Institute of Energy Economics of Japan (IEEJ) last week forecast that Japan's LNG imports will fall to 58.5 million metric tons in the 2024/25 fiscal year from the estimated 64 million tons it imported this year. This decrease will be due to the expected restart of a few more nuclear reactors and an increase in renewable energy sources.
Tepco shares jumped after regulators announced earlier this month that they would consider lifting the plant's operating ban following an inspection of its facilities and a meeting with the company's chairman.
Source: News Beast
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