The largest nuclear power plant in the world, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Japan, received the green light for partial restart on Friday from the governor of Niigata Prefecture, Hideyo Hanazumi.

This decision comes in the context in which Japan seeks to revitalize its nuclear sector and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports. Hanazumi emphasized that the demand for electricity will increase, especially due to the expansion of data centers and the semiconductor industry. However, he mentioned that he will seek the vote of confidence from the prefectural assembly in the session that begins on December 2.

Reactor No. 6 and No. 7, targeted for restart, could significantly contribute to meeting energy demand in the Tokyo area. This would be TEPCO's first restart since the nuclear disaster at Fukushima in 2011, when all 54 nuclear reactors were shut down, leaving Japan vulnerable to fluctuations in the energy sector.