Latest News

In Japan, energy security worries put nuclear back in favour for 2040 plan

Japan is set to promote more nuclear power in an energy policy upgrade due next year, looking for stable electrical power supply in face of growing need and increasing geopolitical threats, however is most likely to have a hard time to meet its targets, market experts state.

The nation slashed dependence on nuclear power after the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and increased usage of nonrenewable fuel sources to generate 70% of its electrical power, even as it set out to cut carbon emissions to net absolutely no by 2050.

However having faced coal and gas cost spikes and supply disturbances in 2022 due to Russia's war on Ukraine, the federal government wants to lock in higher use of atomic energy, along with wind and solar power, to protect stable energy supply.

The focus has moved away from carbon emissions to energy security. Energy security has actually constantly been necessary for Japan, however even more so now since there were a lot of obstacles with the absence of liquefied natural gas, expensive LNG, absence of supply, said Alex Whitworth, vice president at experts Wood Mackenzie.

Any shift to enhance nuclear power by the world's. second-biggest importer of LNG and a major purchaser of thermal coal. will hit exporters of those fossil fuels, consisting of Australia,. Qatar, the U.S. and Indonesia.

Discussions on Japan's energy policy, which is modified every. three years, began last month. This is the very first modification considering that. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida moved the country's position to. favour nuclear power in 2022.

The overwhelming majority of the members of the panel that. disputes the policy are pro-nuclear, and the brand-new policy may. consist of developing new reactors, said Takeo Kikkawa, president of. International University of Japan.

It is unclear how the 2030 energy mix target of 20% -22%. nuclear will change for the next target year, most likely 2040. But energy companies and industry are significantly requiring. greater use of nuclear power as geopolitical stress raise the. danger of energy supply interruptions and power rate walkings.

We seek information in the next energy intend on increasing. nuclear power usage for energy security and decarbonisation, and. on the need to replace and construct brand-new reactors to satisfy rising. electricity need, said Kansai Electric Power,. Japan's biggest operator of atomic energy.

The federal government has stated the country might need to broaden power. output by approximately 50% by 2050 as demand rises from semiconductor. manufacturing plants and data centres.

DIFFICULT TASK

Meeting growing electrical energy need with nuclear power will. be challenging, due to regulative difficulties, public opposition,. high costs, serious earthquakes and long development timeframes,. academics and energy analysts stated.

The country is likely to disappoint its 2030 target for. nuclear power, reaching just 15% due to resistance from regional. homeowners and sluggish approvals by regulators for restarting. existing reactors, Kikkawa stated.

Including brand-new nuclear capability could be challenging even by 2050,. he stated, given that in the past it has taken decades to develop. nuclear plants.

Thermal power would likely need to fill the supply gap, he. and WoodMac's Whitworth stated, contrary to the government's goal. to cut coal- and LNG-fired generation to a combined 39% of the. mix by 2030.

The nuclear power target is the most unrealistic since. it's in fact outside of the federal government's control to be able to. reach that target due to the requirement for getting regional approval for. restarts ... So there's a huge advantage for coal and gas,. Whitworth said.

While revising energy policy, Japan plans to set a. greenhouse gas emissions decrease target for 2035 or later and. develop a decarbonisation strategy for 2040 by early next. year.

Speeding up renewables development and lowering fossil fuel. generation will assist achieve those objectives and lower rates.

The Japanese economy has actually been struck hard by nonrenewable fuel source. costs over the past 2 years, said Yukari Takamura, teacher. at the University of Tokyo's Institute for Future Efforts.

Takamura, a member of the government's energy policy panel,. says Japan ought to lay out a roadmap on how to phase out unabated. coal-fired power plants.

It's in the nationwide interest to promote domestic. production of energy with renewable resource, she stated, adding it. would improve the competitiveness of Japanese companies that are. being determined on decarbonisation factors.

(source: Reuters)