Japan is increasingly relying on nuclear power in the global energy crisis. A guideline passed by the government on Thursday provides for an extension of the lifespan of existing reactors beyond the previous limit of 60 years. In addition, next-generation reactors are to be built to replace the old ones in the long term.
The world’s third largest economy, ahead of Germany, is thus completely turning away from the temporary nuclear phase-out that was initiated after the worst-case scenario at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011 as a result of an earthquake and tsunami.
Use of nuclear power is considered essential
“We have to make full use of nuclear energy,” was Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s motto these days. On the one hand, the resource-poor country, like Germany, wants to reduce its dependence on oil and gas imports and avoid power shortages. On the other hand, Japan wants to achieve its climate protection goals: CO2 emissions are to be reduced to zero by 2050. Renewable energies are also to be expanded, but at the same time the use of nuclear power is regarded as essential, regardless of the danger from earthquakes and the Fukushima disaster.
After Fukushima, Japan shut down all the reactors in the country and introduced significantly tightened safety standards. The government now wants to credit the time of the forced break to the operators. This means that a nuclear power plant could then even survive for 70 years. The operators have applied for restart permits for 27 reactors that have been shut down. 17 reactors have met the safety requirements, ten of which have already been connected to the grid again.
On Tuesday, a court rejected the demand by residents of the Mihama nuclear power plant that the reactor there, which is more than 40 years old, be shut down due to safety concerns. To finance investments in decarbonization projects, the new policy provides for “green transformation” bonds of about 20 trillion yen (143 billion euros). The government estimates that public and private investment of over 150 trillion yen will be required in this area over the next decade. By 2030, Japan aims to generate around 20 to 22 percent of its electricity from nuclear power and 36 to 38 percent from renewable sources.
