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CommoditiesMedium•13 February 2026•

1 min read

Japan Restarts World's Largest Nuclear Plant Kashiwazaki-Kariwa After 15-Year Hiatus

Offshore oil rigs and platforms with pipelines, oil barrels, and a green upward-trending graph line against a golden sky with a world map overlay. Lightning effects surround the oil infrastructure.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has officially resumed operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, ending a 15-year suspension. With a total capacity of 8.2 GW, the facility stands as the world's largest nuclear power plant by production capacity. The restart on February 9 marks a significant milestone in Japan's return to nuclear energy following the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Despite local protests and political divisions in Niigata Prefecture, the move is seen as essential for bolstering national energy security. This shift is expected to reduce Japan's heavy reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels like LNG and coal. Market analysts view the development as bullish for TEPCO's stock and the Japanese trade balance.