METI Sets Target for Replacement of Nuclear Reactors

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) revealed its plan to replace reactors in nuclear power plants to maintain certain share of electric power in the future. To earn 20 percent of all the demand for electric power, the ministry recommends 2 to 5 reactors to be replaced by 2040s or 11 to 14 by 2050s. To prepare replacement of nuclear reactors, it takes a long time and large cost for research and safety measures.

Nuclear power generation had been a basic energy resource for Japan. It was recognized as “mid- and long-term basic energy which has stability for supply, environmental applicability and economic efficiency” in the Strategic Energy Plan (SEP) in 2010. However, the severe accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011 significantly changed the status of nuclear power generation. The government of Japan was poised to be independent on nuclear power as much as possible.

 

It was the 7th SEP in 2025 that resumed dependency on nuclear power, dropping the words of “unlimited reduction of dependency” from the plan. Instead, the plan recommended replacement of old reactors to new ones. “The Government will make concrete progress targeting the building of next-generation advanced reactors within the sites of operators with nuclear power plants that have been determined to be decommissioned,” says the plan.

 

Following the policy change with 7th SEP, the ministry has been seeking opportunity for replacement of nuclear reactors. Based on an assumption that the share of nuclear power will be 20 percent of all electric power in Japan, it calculated that 2 to 5 reactors would need to be replaced to secure 2.2 to 5.5 million kilowatts of nuclear power in 2040s and 11 to 14 reactors should be renewed to maintain 12.7 to 16 million kilowatts in 2050s.

 

The replacement will be made in the site of nuclear power companies which have old nuclear reactors. Length of each reactor’s life is basically 60 years. There are four reactors in Japan which life will end by 2040s. Other seven will end its life by 2050s. The METI expects those old reactors to be replaced to meet the future demand for electric power, including for datacenters.

 

Kansai Electric Power Company has started its research for replacement of reactor #3 in Takahama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui. The reactor will reach 60 years old by 2040s. Two reactors in Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima will be age of 60 by 2050s. The ministry hopes to replace them to next-generation advanced reactors. The replacement will be made in the same site of the operators.

 

In the process of replacement, the old reactors need to be decommissioned, which process takes about 30 years. New reactor has to pass strict examination for safety. It takes 20 years for a new reactor to start its operation. Although the government promotes the plan for replacement, it is quite unsure that the power companies are willing to pay for the cost for replacing old nuclear reactors.

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