Japan could develop new nuclear power plants to boost energy security in major policy shift
- Government could look into small modular reactors, which have less power output and are easier to cool, reducing the risk of a serious accident
- Authorities aim to ensure stable supply of power and reduce costs after disruption to energy supplies caused by Ukraine war
The government could also consider extending the operational life of reactors that have passed new safety standards from the presently mandated 40 years to 60 years.
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After extensive upgrades, 10 reactors have returned to operational status, with a further seven expected to be generating power again by next summer. The government has said it hopes nuclear power plants will deliver up to 20 per cent of the nation’s energy by 2030.
“If this goes ahead, I do not think too many people will be surprised at the change in policy,” said Kazuto Suzuki, a professor of science and technology policy at Tokyo University. “When he was first appointed prime minister, Kishida expressed his intention to look into the development of a new kind of nuclear reactor to meet the nation’s energy needs.”
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Of the new technologies to be considered, small modular reactors (SMRs) are likely to be a top target for the Japanese government.
SMRs are defined as having a power output below 300,000 kilowatts, far less than the 1 million kW produced by a conventional reactor. SMRs are significantly smaller than regular reactors and, as less heat is emitted from the nuclear fuel, they are easier to cool. According to proponents of the technology, this makes a serious accident less likely. Once the technology has been perfected, they add, individual units should be relatively cheap to construct and put into operation.
Experts in Japan have suggested that domestically developed SMRs be constructed underground and that instead of a few very large nuclear plants around the country, the trend could shift to one SMR providing energy to a city and surrounding areas.
Studies have suggested the Japanese public is shedding its previous resistance to reactors being brought back online. A poll conducted by Yahoo Japan in July indicated that 74 per cent of Japanese people felt the nuclear plants needed to resume operations. A decade ago, well over 80 per cent saw no future for atomic energy in Japan.
“The issue now is whether the fear of another accident is greater than the fear of running out of energy,” Suzuki said. “If [the new technologies] can be proved to be safe and efficient and are better than the technologies used in the reactors in Japan at the moment, then [people] will agree.”
As well as the backing of a public tired of soaring energy costs, Kishida can call on the support of Japan’s industrial and business sectors.
Kishida could also position his government’s commitment to SMRs and other potential cutting-edge nuclear technologies as a benefit to the nation, Suzuki said, adding that it could be an opportunity for Japanese developers to further establish themselves on the global stage.
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Not everyone is convinced, however.
Hideyuki Ban, joint director of the Tokyo-based Citizens’ Nuclear Information Centre, said he was “very concerned” about plans for SMRs.
“This technology is not perfectly safe, while we are also deeply worried about the huge costs it will require,” he said. “We feel the government subsidies are basically being used to save the nuclear industry.”
Additional reporting by Kyodo
