Lawmakers in Japan call for faster restart of nuclear plants amid energy crisis. Japan’s government must do more to win public support for restarting nuclear power plants. The energy crisis is putting nuclear power in the spotlight, says the industry’s former top regulator.
“The government must face the people and have a proper discussion.” Shunichi Tanaka, who served as chairman of Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said. “Japan has no energy source of its own – and besides, we have to consider climate change and the problems with Russia.”
High costs for energy imports and weak yen cause problems
Households and businesses are being urged to save electricity to avoid blackouts as global energy supplies come under pressure. The war in Ukraine has driven coal and gas prices to record levels. Costs for energy importers like Japan are being driven up. Moreover, the situation has been exacerbated by the weakest yen in two decades.
Image: Copyright © National Land Image Information (Color Aerial Photographs), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons
With shortages of electricity expected in the summer and coming winter, several lawmakers have called for a faster restart of nuclear reactors that have been off the grid since 2011. Of the 33 commercially available reactors, only 10 have been restarted according to the authority’s strict protocols.
Nuclear power plants controversial in Japan after Fukushima accident
Tanaka’s remarks come amid renewed debate about the role of nuclear energy in Japan, still a politically sensitive issue after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
“The public today generally does not see it as positive to bring nuclear power back online.” Tanaka, who headed the regulator between 2012 and 2017, said. “The government has to overcome this hurdle.”
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has stated that he wants to make the regulator’s inspection process more efficient and effective. Japan wants to increase the share of nuclear energy in its energy mix from about 7 % to 20-22 % in 2030.
Some members of Kishida’s ruling party have suggested that reactors that have met safety standards should be allowed to operate, even if they have not yet taken other measures, such as additional facilities that can take over in the event of a terrorist attack.
But Tanaka does not agree with the government’s demands. The 77-year-old, who has a background in nuclear engineering, insists that faster restarts must not compromise safety. Moreover, he argues that nuclear power plants are crucial for energy security and reducing carbon emissions.
“I personally consider nuclear energy to be the most important scientific invention mankind has made,” he said. “Using it properly is very important for humanity”.
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