Japan prepares to restart world's biggest nuclear plan

The Japanese region of Niigata is expected to endorse a decision to restart the world's largest nuclear power plant, a watershed moment in the country's pivot back to nuclear since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.



Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 220 km northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut after a massive earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.



Since then, Japan has restarted 14 of the 33 that remain operable, as it tries to wean itself off imported fossil fuels.



Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will be the first operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), which ran the doomed Fukushima plant.



TEPCO earlier this year pledged to inject $641 million into the prefecture over the next 10 years as it sought to win the support of Niigata ⁠residents.



But many locals remain wary. A survey published by the prefecture in October found 60% of residents did not think conditions for the restart had been met.

Nearly 70% were worried about TEPCO operating the plant.