Japan continues to rely on nuclear energy due to crisis

In addition, new generation reactors will be built to replace old reactors in the long run. The world’s third-largest economy is therefore moving away completely from the temporary nuclear phase-out that was initiated following the March 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as a result of the earthquake and tsunami.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s slogan these days was “We must make full use of nuclear energy”. On the one hand, the resource-poor country wants to reduce its reliance on oil and gas imports and avoid power outages. Japan, on the other hand, wants to achieve its climate protection goals: by 2050 its CO2 emissions will be reduced to zero. Renewable energies will also be promoted, but it is also considered necessary to use nuclear energy regardless of the hazards arising from the earthquake and the Fukushima disaster.

After Fukushima, Japan shut down all reactors in the country and introduced significantly tightened safety standards. The government now wants to give the mandatory break time to the operators. This means that a nuclear power plant can survive even 70 years. Operators applied for restart permits for the 27 reactors that were shut down. 17 reactors met safety requirements, of which ten were reconnected to the grid.

A court on Tuesday denied residents of the Mihama nuclear power plant a request that the over 40-year-old reactor there be shut down due to safety concerns. The new policy provides about 20 trillion yen (EUR 143 billion) worth of “green transformation” bonds to finance investments in decarbonisation projects. The government estimates that over 150 trillion yen of public and private investment will be required in this area over the next decade. By 2030, Japan aims to generate about 20 to 22 percent of its electricity from nuclear power and 36 to 38 percent from renewable sources.

(SDA)