Japan’s return to nuclear power faces test as new leader Kishida visits Fukushima
- The new prime minister has committed to restarting reactors mothballed since the 2011 meltdown, but public opposition and his own upbringing in Hiroshima may test his resolve
- Amid a global power crunch, the business lobby and several of Kishida’s ministers argue that nuclear is the only way to secure Japan’s power supplies and meet its carbon targets. A fully green alternative could be 30 years away
“It is crucial that we restart nuclear plants,” Kishida said in response to a question from an opposition politician, adding that those plants that met stringent new safety standards imposed in the aftermath of Fukushima were a key component of the government’s commitment to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
Prior to 2011, 54 nuclear reactors were generating 30 per cent of the nation’s energy and there was a plan to raise that to 40 per cent as part of the national strategic priority. Twenty-four older reactors that failed to meet new safety standards are being permanently decommissioned, but many more have been certified to resume operations. A mere nine reactors at five plants have started generating electricity, however, due to the opposition of people living close to the facilities and local governments.