Japan raises nuclear power goal in major shift after Fukushima

In a major policy change, Japan declares that it will improve its emphasis on nuclear power as it tries to satisfy growing demand from power-hungry industries like AI and electronics.

The cabinet’s power program on Tuesday included a recommendation to “maximize the use of atomic energy” and omitted the suggestion that “reducing reliance on nuclear energy.”

The energy plan, written by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry says that by 2040, nuclear energy should account for 20% of Japan’s grid supply in 2040, more than double the 8.5% share in 2023.

It comes as the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster from 14 years ago continues to hang over the country, conjuring painful memories.

In March 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake near Japan’s north-east coast spawned a tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people, wiping out entire towns and flooding the reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Japan now operates 14 commercial atomic reactor, compared to 54 before the Fukushima disaster when 30 % of the country’s power was from nuclear options.

The program also needs acceptance by congress, where it will be discussed in the coming weeks.

According to Daishiro Yamagiwa, an MP who was a member of the government advisory committee on the power plan, the nation, which imports 90 % of its energy, needs to turn to nuclear options as part of its effort to reduce carbon emissions and become self-sufficient.

Also fossil fuels have become increasingly difficult to purchase because of the conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict, he told the BBC. Because Japan lacks power resources, we must use what is readily available in a healthy manner.

Yamagiwa added that the demand for semiconductor factories and AI files control centers is increasing.

However, according to experts, increasing emphasis on nuclear power will be both costly and risky.

According to Professor Kenichi Oshima, a professor at the university of policy technology at Ryukoku University, Japan will need to buy uranium, which is expensive and will make the nation dependent on different nations.

The main problem, according to Prof. Kenichi, is that the number of nuclear power plants ‘ growth also raises the possibility of tragic accidents.

He cited the Noto island earthquake of 2024 as an example of how citizens opposed a plan to build a nuclear power plant two decades ago.

” If there had been a nuclear power plant it, it is quite obvious that it would have caused a major accident”, he said.

Any mention of nuclear power in Japan always brings back unpleasant memories of the Daiichi power plant nuclear panic.

Tokyo citizen Yuko Maruyama told the BBC,” We all had such a bad experience at the time of the Fukushima quake.”

How was I back the nuclear power program? I want the government to concentrate on different sources of energy”, she added.

” As a mother I think of the youngsters, of their health. What did happen in the future is beyond my control.

Fukushima’s panic is regarded as the worst in the world since Chernobyl in 1986.

When Japan began releasing treated liquid from the Fukushima plant page in 2023, it sparked new discussion. This drew rallies from Japan’s neighborhood, including China, over safety concerns.

The IAEA, the body’s regulation for nuclear power, claimed that the waste liquid was safe and would have a “negligible” impact on both people and the environment.

Greenpeace responded to the new energy strategy released this week by calling it “outrageous” to promote nuclear power given that Fukushima’s aftermath is still being investigated.

” There is no explanation for continuing to rely on nuclear power, which remains dangerous for tens of thousands of years, produces nuclear waste that requires long-term control, and carries risks like tremors and terrorism”, the team said.

To match the government’s purpose, experts say 33 reactors may be put up online, but the current rate of security checks as well as residents ‘ objections in some areas may make this difficult.

Many of these nuclear power plants are outdated and require modernization in order to operate securely.

Each atomic power plant is located in a unique place and will require its own security process and infrastructure, according to Yamagiwa.

” We has examine each of them properly. It also takes day”.

In recent months, authorities have given some old reactors authorization to keep operating.

In October 2024 Japan’s oldest furnace, Takahama nuclear power plant, was given the go-ahead to remain activities, making it the first furnace in the country to obtain approval to perform beyond 50 times.