Industry ministry wants ‘supportive investment policies’ for nuclear industry
Japan’s industry ministry is making final amendments to a policy that will set the country’s planned nuclear share in 2040 at 20% – a significant increase from the estimated 8.5% the reactor fleet provides today.
The share of renewable energy such as solar and wind will rise to 40 or 50% under the new targets.
The ministry has said it classifies both nuclear and renewable energies as decarbonising power sources and plans to accelerate their adoption by developing “supportive investment policies”.
The ministry will present a draft of the new basic energy plan, which outlines Japan’s mid- to long-term energy policy, at a meeting as early as next week, reports said.
The current version of the basic energy plan sets targets for nuclear energy at 20%-22% and renewables at 36%-38%
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said delays in restarting and replacing nuclear reactors following the March 2011 Fukushima disaster have kept nuclear’s share in the energy mix at around 8.5%. International Atomic Energy Agency data put that figure at 5.5% in 2023.
Limited suitable locations for new renewable energy projects saw renewables’ share at 22.9% 2023, the Asahi Shimbun said.
Before Fukushima Japan’s fleet of 54 nuclear plants generated about 30% of the country’s electricity, but were all shut down for safety checks following the accident.
Among the 33 operable nuclear reactors in Japan, 14 have now resumed operations after meeting post-Fukushima safety standards. The restarted plants are: Sendai-1 and -2, Genkai-3 and -4, Ikata-3, Mihama-3, Ohi-3 and -4, Onagawa-2 (temporarily offline), Shimane-2 and Takahama-1, -2, -3 and -4.
In October, Japan’s new economy minister said the country will need to maximise the use of existing nuclear power plants because AI and data centres are expected to boost electricity demand.
Yoji Muto said the new administration will plan restarting as many reactors as possible so long as they are safe.
Muto’s comments point to a continuation of former prime minister Fumio Kishida’s policy that moved Japan back towards nuclear energy as a major power source.
Prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, who succeeded Kishida on 1 October following the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, had said during his election campaign that Japan should reduce its dependence on nuclear energy, but later said that he would support the restart of existing plants.
