Loading
Search
▼ Japan Vows to Use as Much Renewable, Nuclear Energy as Possible
- Category:Other
Japan’s industry ministry on Tuesday released a draft of a new basic energy plan, vowing to use as much renewable and nuclear energy as possible to promote decarbonization.
The draft says renewable energy will make up around 40-50 pct of the country’s power generation mix in fiscal 2040 and nuclear energy around 20 pct.
In the draft, the ministry deleted the description that the country would reduce its dependence on nuclear power as much as possible, which has been maintained since 2014, while newly including a plan to promote the rebuilding of aged reactors.
The government aims to meet anticipated growth in power demand by beefing up the supply capacity for noncarbon energy.
The draft signals that Japan would make a drastic shift from its current energy policy put in place after the March 2011 triple reactor meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s tsunami-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The draft basic policy was presented at the day’s meeting of an expert panel under the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy, which advises the industry minister. The new basic plan is expected to be approved at a cabinet meeting in February next year.
According to the draft, power generation in fiscal 2040 is estimated to grow to 1.1 trillion to 1.2 trillion kilowatt-hours from the current 1 trillion kilowatt-hours, reflecting construction of new data centers and semiconductor factories, and expansion of existing facilities.
In order to meet the growing demand, the ministry plans to raise the proportion of renewable energy in the power generation mix to around 40-50 pct from the fiscal 2030 target of 36-38 pct while lowering that of thermal and other energy sources to around 30-40 pct from 42 pct.
The share of nuclear energy, which had accounted for around 30 pct before the March 2011 accident at the TEPCO plant, will be maintained at around 20 pct.
While the nuclear energy share stood at only 8.5 pct in fiscal 2023 due to the lack of progress in the restart of idled nuclear reactors, the draft basic plan says that the country will utilize nuclear power on a necessary scale in a sustainable way.
A power company will be allowed to rebuild existing nuclear reactors within the grounds of other nuclear power stations owned by the firm, according to the draft. Currently, reactors can only be rebuilt within the premises of power plants with reactors for which decommissioning has been decided.
The draft also includes plans to develop next-generation nuclear power reactors.
The ministry aims to increase renewable power generation through the introduction of new technologies such as lightweight perovskite solar cells.
For thermal power generation, it will work on promoting the use of hydrogen and ammonia as fuel to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Amid soaring resources prices reflecting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and increasing Middle East tensions, the draft says that Japan will aim for a well-balanced power generation mix that is not overdependent on a particular energy source or fuel.
The draft says renewable energy will make up around 40-50 pct of the country’s power generation mix in fiscal 2040 and nuclear energy around 20 pct.
In the draft, the ministry deleted the description that the country would reduce its dependence on nuclear power as much as possible, which has been maintained since 2014, while newly including a plan to promote the rebuilding of aged reactors.
The government aims to meet anticipated growth in power demand by beefing up the supply capacity for noncarbon energy.
The draft signals that Japan would make a drastic shift from its current energy policy put in place after the March 2011 triple reactor meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s tsunami-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The draft basic policy was presented at the day’s meeting of an expert panel under the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy, which advises the industry minister. The new basic plan is expected to be approved at a cabinet meeting in February next year.
According to the draft, power generation in fiscal 2040 is estimated to grow to 1.1 trillion to 1.2 trillion kilowatt-hours from the current 1 trillion kilowatt-hours, reflecting construction of new data centers and semiconductor factories, and expansion of existing facilities.
In order to meet the growing demand, the ministry plans to raise the proportion of renewable energy in the power generation mix to around 40-50 pct from the fiscal 2030 target of 36-38 pct while lowering that of thermal and other energy sources to around 30-40 pct from 42 pct.
The share of nuclear energy, which had accounted for around 30 pct before the March 2011 accident at the TEPCO plant, will be maintained at around 20 pct.
While the nuclear energy share stood at only 8.5 pct in fiscal 2023 due to the lack of progress in the restart of idled nuclear reactors, the draft basic plan says that the country will utilize nuclear power on a necessary scale in a sustainable way.
A power company will be allowed to rebuild existing nuclear reactors within the grounds of other nuclear power stations owned by the firm, according to the draft. Currently, reactors can only be rebuilt within the premises of power plants with reactors for which decommissioning has been decided.
The draft also includes plans to develop next-generation nuclear power reactors.
The ministry aims to increase renewable power generation through the introduction of new technologies such as lightweight perovskite solar cells.
For thermal power generation, it will work on promoting the use of hydrogen and ammonia as fuel to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Amid soaring resources prices reflecting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and increasing Middle East tensions, the draft says that Japan will aim for a well-balanced power generation mix that is not overdependent on a particular energy source or fuel.
- 17/12 17:23
- Comment (0)
- Trackback(0)