The resource-poor country, which withdrew from nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, wants to bring back nuclear power and reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels, AFP reported.
Kyodo News and Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun, citing anonymous sources, said the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant is expected to receive permission from the local governor this week to restart operations.
According to reports, Hideyo Hanazumi, the governor of central Niigata Prefecture, where the factory is located, is scheduled to hold a press conference on Friday.
Of the seven reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, only one will be restarted.
After the 2011 tsunami and meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan shut down all its nuclear reactors amid public concerns about its energy sources.
A total of 14 reactors (mainly in the western and southern regions) have resumed operation after strict safety standards were imposed.
If approved, it would be the first nuclear power plant restart for Fukushima operator TEPCO since the earthquake.
The government continues to support nuclear power as a reliable and clean energy source necessary for Japan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Electric power company Kansai Electric Power Co. announced in July that it was taking the first steps toward building Japan’s first new nuclear reactor since the Fukushima accident.
Japan still faces the difficult task of decommissioning the Fukushima nuclear power plant, a process expected to take decades.
In August, Japanese engineers sent a remote-controlled robot into one of the damaged reactor buildings as part of preparations to remove radioactive debris.
MNA