Strategic Energy Plan Keeps Nuclear Power Alive

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) released a draft of new Strategic Energy Plan for FY 2040. Concerning increasing demand for electricity in industries related to advanced technology, the plan aims at doubling the ratio of renewable energy to whole energy supply. News reports focused on the plan’s dependence on nuclear energy, to which the people still embrace trauma of the severe accident in 2011. The plan did not figure out any viable measures for enhancing safety of nuclear power plant, evacuation of the people in emergency or disposal of nuclear waste.

The plan predicts that demand of energy in 2040 will increase by 1.2 times greater than now. Defining renewable energy and nuclear energy as the most important resources for decarbonizing energy in Japan, the plan proposes that Japan should take advantage of those two resources as much as possible. Renewable energy is supposed to occupy forty to fifty percent of energy in Japan in 2040, occupying the top position among the resources.

 

The share of solar power is expected to be 22 to 29 percent in 2040, while the plan expect wind power for 4 to 8 percent. It proposes that 20 gigawatts of energy by perovskite solar cells will be introduced, and 30 to 40 gigawatts will be generated by offshore wind power. The government is going to explore some other renewable resources such as geothermal power and small-sized hydro-electric power generation.

 

The main concern was directed to nuclear energy, which occupies twenty percent of all energies in 2040. To implement the share, the power companies need to restart all the existing thirty-six reactors in Japan. Not only keeping nuclear energy as one of the most important resources, the plan mitigates regulations for replacement of nuclear reactors. It is planning to allow a power company to build new reactor in the site of another nuclear power plant which the same company possesses.

 

METI supposes that Kyushu Electric Power Company can build new reactors in Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, as the alternatives for decommissioning of reactors in Genkai Nuclear Power Plant in Saga Prefecture. The ministry recognizes that the projects for construction of new reactors should be started right now and the cost for building new reactors would be compensated with raising consumers’ payment for electricity.

 

After Russia’s invasion to Ukraine in 2022, the price of energy significantly rose, causing broad concern on energy supply for the future. Fumio Kishida administration lit a green light for nuclear power generation in the energy strategy called Green Transformation, which allowed introduction of advanced reactors and replacement of shutting-down reactors.

 

There is a criticism on continuing nuclear power generation on this island country with frequent earthquakes, located at the edge of the greatest continent on the earth. The cost for nuclear generation includes not only for building and maintaining reactors, but also for compensation for nuclear catastrophe. The government has not found the place for disposal of used nuclear fuels, which will be kept on produced as long as nuclear power generation continues.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Amendment of Local Autonomy Law

The House of Representatives started discussion on revision of the Local Autonomy Law, which would vest the national government a power to instruct local government in an emergency. It may change the relationship between the national and local government, which has been recognized as equal. The opposition parties oppose the amendment, arguing that it would give the national government an excessive power.   With the Meiji Restoration, the national government abolished the feudal system, introducing modern governance. However, its autonomy was not sufficient. The governor of each prefecture was appointed by the national government. The local governments subordinated to the national government. It was as late as 2000 when  the Comprehensive Decentralization Law  was enacted and the relationship between the national and local government was defined as equal.   The national government found inconvenience in the relationship between the national and local government, when ...
Read more

Request for Final Nuclear Disposal Site

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry requested Genkai Town, Saga, to accept “literature survey” for building a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste. Genkai is going to answer within this month. If it accepts, it will be the third place to accept that survey, following two places in Hokkaido. Main reason to accept the survey is supposed to be subsidy from the national government.   Japan has no final disposal site. Among all 54 reactors in 17 nuclear power generation plant, 12 reactors of 6 plants are operating. The rest of them are not in operation, some of which are determined to be decommissioned. Used nuclear fuels are stocked in each plant, 　 or have sent to a reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Aomori. There are two plans to stock nuclear wastes in the intermediate facility for disposal, one is already built and another is still in negotiation.   Nuclear Fuel Final Disposal Act in 2000 determines to bury nuclear waste in the underground. Literature survey, ...
Read more

Not A Royal Wedding

The bride called her husband an indispensable existence and their marriage was necessary choice to protect their mind. The groom insisted on his life as only once and his right to be with his loved one. Her father wanted his daughter’s marriage to be celebrated by the people. The people were not sure whether the family was happy as a whole. Is this the traditional Japanese social system that makes no one happy? Mako Komuro, as known as Princess Mako during her life in one of the royal family Akishino, held on Tuesday a press conference with her husband Kei Komuro, right after submitting marriage report to local government. It was something different from ordinary Q&A session, because Mako was afraid of her mental uneasiness brought by some questions not based on truth. So, the event was actually one-sided speech to the reporters. Mako emphasized that the Kei’s decision of studying abroad five years ago had not been his original idea, but a result of her request to establish an over...
Read more