Japan will need to maximise the use of existing nuclear power plants as AI and data centres are expected to boost electricity demand, the new economy minister said, indicating no major shift in policy under newly appointed prime minister Shigeru Ishiba.
It is natural for Japan to pursue both nuclear and renewable energy to meet growing energy demand without increasing carbon emissions, said Yoji Muto, who was appointed to the role on Tuesday (1 October).
Muto said the new administration will plan restarting as many reactors as possible so long as they are safe.
He also said that Japan will need to protect its nuclear industry by developing next-generation reactors. The government is in the process of revising its energy plan that will dictate the power mix, which is currently 70% fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal, beyond 2030.
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.
Ishiba had said during his campaign that Japan should reduce its dependence on nuclear energy, but later said that he would support the restart of existing plants.
Kishida said before he left office that he was working on plans to restart units at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (Tepco) Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power station.
Kashiwazaki Kariwa, the world’s biggest nuclear station with seven units and a net installed capacity of about 7,965 MW, has been offline since 2012 pending safety checks after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
12 Out Of 33 Reactors Have Resumed Operation
Before the Fukushima disaster in 2011 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, 12 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 and Takahama-1, -2, -3 and -4.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear generated about 6.1% of the country’s electricity in 2022. The Tokyo-based Japan Atomic Industry Forum said recently that the fleet generated 81 TWh of electric power in 2023, about 50% higher than 2022.
International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi has expressed his support for increasing Japan’s nuclear capacity and offered Japan technical assistance as its bids to restart Kashiwazaki Kariwa.