Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 7 is a 1,315 MWe (net) TEPCO ABWR with NRA approval (2017) and Niigata local consent (2025), but it cannot restart until its specialised anti-terrorism facility is finished, scheduled for August 2029. TEPCO removed its fuel in October 2025 and prioritised unit 6.
Background: Palisades fuel loading: Holtec restart timeline and what comes next · NRC reactor licensing process, explained
Current state
| Status | Approved |
| Country | Japan |
| Location | Kashiwazaki and Kariwa, Niigata Prefecture |
| Plant | Kashiwazaki-Kariwa |
| Unit | 7 |
| Operator | Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) |
| Reactor type | BWR |
| Net capacity (MWe) | 1,315 |
| Restart type | Post-Fukushima restart |
| Shut down | 2011-08-23 |
| Restart target | 2029 |
| Years offline | 15.1 |
| Regulator | NRA approval 2017-12-27; restart blocked until specialised safety facility completion (scheduled Aug 2029) |
| Local consent | Niigata governor consented 2025-11-21; prefectural assembly backed the decision 2025-12-22 |
Notes
restart target '2029' reflects EIA ('delayed until 2029-2030') and WNA (cannot restart before SSF completion, Aug 2029). years offline measured to 2026-10-11.
Timeline
- 2011-08-23 — Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 7 went offline for a periodic inspection. (source)
- 2017-12-27 — The NRA approved units 6 and 7. (source)
- 2024-04-26 — TEPCO completed fuel loading. (source)
- 2025-10-21 — TEPCO began removing fuel from the reactor. (source)
- 2025-11-21 — The Niigata governor consented to restarting units 6 and 7. (source)
- 2025-12-22 — The prefectural assembly backed the governor. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
Related units
- Genkai Unit 3 Restarted · Japan
- Genkai Unit 4 Restarted · Japan
- Hamaoka Unit 3 Cancelled · Japan
- Hamaoka Unit 4 Cancelled · Japan
- Higashidori Unit 1 (Tohoku Electric) Under review · Japan
- Ikata Unit 3 Restarted · Japan
- Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Unit 6 Restarted · Japan
- Mihama Unit 3 Restarted · Japan
See all 45 units in the Nuclear Plant Restarts Tracker →
Sources
- Current Status of Nuclear Power Plants in Japan as of August 7, 2026 — Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- Nuclear Power in Japan — World Nuclear Association, checked 2026-10-11
- Niigata governor consents to restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactors — World Nuclear News, checked 2026-10-11
- Restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactors approved by regional assembly — World Nuclear News, checked 2026-10-11
- Nuclear reactor restart in Japan will likely displace natural gas electricity generation — U.S. Energy Information Administration (primary), checked 2026-10-11