The world’s largest nuclear plant in central Japan, which was shut in July after a major earthquake, will not be able to resume operation for at least two years, a top government expert said yesterday.

The seven-reactor Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, a crucial source of electricity for the Tokyo region 250km to the south, suffered a fire, a small radioactive leak and other problems after the July 16 tremor.

“Restarting the plant won’t be able to take place for a minimum of two years and we will start first with only two or three reactors,” said Akira Sakakibara, deputy director of the government’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.