The energy crisis forced Japan to return to nuclear power plants

On Wednesday, August 24, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he would restart idle nuclear power plants. Such a move by the Japanese authorities dramatically changes the country’s political position on the issue of nuclear energy, which arose after the largest accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. What measures are supposed to be taken, and how Tokyo’s policy will change – in our material.

Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that Japan will restart dormant nuclear power plants and consider developing next-generation reactors. This means a change in policy, as a result of which the country will be forced to return to nuclear energy due to rising fuel prices around the world, reports CNN.

The Prime Minister instructed a government commission to look into how “next-generation nuclear reactors with new safety mechanisms” can be used to help Japan achieve its carbon neutrality goals by 2050. .

The move marks a significant shift for Japan, which has scaled back its use of nuclear power since 2011. Then the tsunami, which arose as a result of a strong earthquake, caused the collapse of water at the Fukushima-1 power plant. This accident led to the worst nuclear disaster in the world since Chernobyl.

Recall that as a result of the collapse of the tsunami at the power plant, the generators supplying the Daiichi plant with backup power were flooded. The food itself was only enough for a few hours. The workers had to find ways to cool the reactors and spent fuel pools on their own to avoid a meltdown, but 3 of the six reactors did melt down.

The consequence of the disaster was the release into the atmosphere of a huge amount of radiation, which forced tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. Some areas are still closed to residents.

After the tragedy, the public, as well as the authorities themselves, became skeptical about nuclear power, as a result of which the country introduced an immediate safety upgrade for power plants throughout Japan.

The new rules include several goals. First, nuclear plant operators must be able to prevent damage to the reactor core and spent rods. Secondly, in the event of a tsunami that threatens the station’s cooling system, be able to prevent the release of radioactivity and restore the cooling mechanisms.

Despite the introduced safety rules, the fear of using nuclear power plants among the Japanese remains to this day. Many nuclear power plants are idle, and the government has said that building new or replacing old reactors is not on the agenda.

The implementation of Kishida’s plans in this case dramatically changes the existing position, but becomes a forced step, since Japan may face a major energy crisis in the near future.

In the words of Kishida himself, “To overcome the impending crisis caused by the power outage, we must take all possible steps to mobilize any possible measures in the coming years and prepare for any emergency.”

The prime minister also noted that “nuclear energy and renewable energy sources are extremely important in order to continue to carry out the” green transformation “of the economy.”

The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura, echoed in his turn that “it is extremely important to provide all options for restructuring the stable energy supply of our country. From this point of view, we will also consider all options regarding nuclear energy.”

The restructuring is more important than ever, since already at the end of June the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry urged residents to save electricity.

The Japan Times recalled that the Japanese authorities this year faced a shortage of fuel to generate electricity, as well as abnormal heat, which significantly worsened the situation. Tokyo has faced a power crisis twice, including in late June during the worst heatwave in a century.

Kishida acknowledged that the government will have to win the support of the public, which opposed nuclear power after the Fukushima accident. However, officials are convinced that voters have become more receptive to nuclear power due to rising fuel prices and the recent energy crisis in Tokyo. The country has become heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels.

Seven reactors are currently in operation, while three others are shut down for regular safety checks. Dozens of others are still going through the relicensing process under stricter security standards introduced in 2011.

Increasing the role of nuclear energy in Japan’s energy mix could lead to the restart of 7 additional reactors after next summer, including 2 at the world’s largest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa.

But even here it will not be without difficulties and disputes. This station is operated by Tokyo Electric Power, which operates the already infamous Fukushima Daiichi station.

In addition to reopening the stations, the government will consider extending the life of existing reactors beyond the legal limit. When calculating the time of their operation, the period when they were unemployed will be excluded (in some cases, the period is extended for several years).

Power plants can operate for up to 40 years, writes The Guardian, but can continue to generate energy for another 20 years if all safety measures and regulatory reviews are passed.

Japan has set a goal that by 2030, production at a nuclear power plant will account for 20-22% of its electricity supply. Before the Fukushima accident, about a third of electricity production came from nuclear power, but in 2020 this figure was less than 5%.

As for immediate plans, the Kishida government intends to restart up to 17 power plants starting in the summer of 2023, writes the Japanese publication Nikkei. Thus, it is supposed to make a contribution to the medium and long term of domestic electricity.