To secure its energy supply, Japan intends to support the construction of new oil pipelines in the Gulf region and expand domestic nuclear power capacity. The business newspaper Nikkei reported on Wednesday that Tokyo plans to assist Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations in developing alternatives to the transport route through the Strait of Hormuz. Japan, the world’s fourth-largest economy, is heavily dependent on oil supplies from the region.
In response to supply chain disruptions caused by the war involving Iran, the country has already tapped into its oil reserves and increased imports from other nations, particularly the United States. According to the broadcaster NHK, further planned measures to secure the energy supply include maximizing the use of nuclear power, expanding solar energy capacity, and establishing a special oil reserve for the production of naphtha—a key feedstock for many industrial sectors.
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In June, there were reports that Japan intended to replace a total of 14 aging nuclear reactors. Electricity demand in the country is rising, driven primarily by data centers and semiconductor plants. Following the severe nuclear accident in 2011, Tokyo had initially shut down its nuclear power plants and reverted to a greater reliance on fossil fuels.
Around 18,500 people lost their lives in a massive undersea earthquake off the coast of Japan in March 2011 and the tsunami it triggered. The coastal Fukushima nuclear power plant was struck by a tsunami nearly 15 meters high, causing core meltdowns in three of its six reactors. It was the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Author: AFP – ilo/mm – Translated by Blackout News
Sources: AFP press portal