Industry Minister Yoji Muto said Japan plans to continue restarting nuclear power plants safely and will utilize as much renewable energy as possible. This indicates no major shift in policy under the newly inaugurated Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba.
Before winning the leadership election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Ishiba had promised to do his best to stop the use of nuclear power.
He was the only candidate opposing nuclear power in Japan, which relies on fossil fuel imports for two-thirds of its electricity.
However, shortly before becoming Prime Minister, Ishiba stopped advocating for zero nuclear power and instead called for more use of renewable energy, including hydropower, and greater energy conservation.
In his first media appearance as Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), Muto said, “Japan can maximize renewable energy, and we will restart nuclear power safely, as much as possible.”
With electricity demand projected to increase as more data centers and semiconductor factories are established, Muto stated that securing energy would be a critical part of Japan’s growth.
Renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, now contributes to more than a quarter of Japan’s electricity. Meanwhile, coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) still dominate the rest. Nuclear power accounts for 9%, although its share has declined since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
Japan currently operates 11 nuclear reactors, equivalent to one-fifth of its capacity before the disaster, which has helped reduce LNG imports by 8% to their lowest level in 14 years.
However, LNG and coal imports for power generation cost 12.4 trillion yen last year, increasing the cost of living. TEPCO is trying to restart the world’s largest nuclear plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, but has been delayed by local government approval.
The nuclear energy debate in Japan is also influenced by the upcoming elections. According to Mika Ohbayashi, Director of the Renewable Energy Institute, Japan’s nuclear power could potentially be phased out, recalling the period after Fukushima when all 54 reactors were shut down.
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