Energy Plan Drops Reduction of Nuclear Power

The Government of Japan is going to issue Strategic Energy Plan (SEP) this month. News organizations reported that it would not refer to “gradual elimination” of nuclear power plant for the first time since Japan experienced a severe accident in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. Advocates for nuclear power generation, such as lawmakers of the Liberal Democratic Party, are delighted with unleashing of nuclear technology. 

The government of Japan released the first SEP in 2003, which set up three pillars in energy policy: stable supply of energy, adaptation to environment and introduction of market principles. As a country with scarcity of energy resource, it had been a crucial requirement for Japan to secure energy without dependence on Middle East countries, and with safety and sustainability for every business and household.

 

Although the plan has been included promotion of nuclear power generation as one of the basic power resources until the third version in 2010, the accident in Fukushima in 2011 broke down any confidence on nuclear power generation. The fourth SEP in 2014 fundamentally reviewed energy policy of Japan. “We need to rewrite our energy strategy from a blank paper and we reduce dependence on nuclear power plants as much as we can,” remarked the plan.

 

The SEP 2024 will mark the seventh version. While the clause for skepticism on nuclear power plant has been kept in the fifth and sixth, the SEP 2024 is supposed to drop it. Instead, the plan will include a sentence that Japan will not too much depend on any specific power resource or fuel. It is obvious, however, that seeking energy mix does not guarantee safety of nuclear power generation.

 

The Shigeru Ishiba administration and ruling LDP firmly believe that nuclear power generation is indispensable for promotion of digital economy, which requires a great amount of electricity to operate data centers. The lawmakers of the LDP, who had interest in nuclear power generation, handed Ishiba a proposal to drop the sentence of nuclear reduction from SEP 2024.

 

It is also expected that SEP 2024 will recommend replacement of obsolete nuclear power plants. In post-Fukushima energy policies, replacement or building new nuclear power plant have been nothing less than a taboo. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been maneuvering to accelerate resurgence of nuclear power, taking opportunity of promotion of Green Transformation (GX) in Fumio Kishida administration.

 

As a matter of fact, resumption of nuclear reactors in power plants is making slow progress. It is not easy for each electric power company to pass examination for safety. There is no viable plan to significantly reduce the cost of nuclear power generation, including safety measures against natural disaster. Even how Japan has to depend on nuclear power, the greatest power resource in 2040 is going to be renewable energy, which will be 40 to 50 percent, and the nation will still rely on 30 or 40 percent of thermal power.