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Japan plans to build new nuclear power plants

2022-08-24T13:21:24.812Z


In Germany, the government is arguing about "stretching" the last reactors. In Japan, Prime Minister Kishida even wants to decide on new reactors - despite Fukushima.


Enlarge image

Sendai nuclear power plant in south-west Japan: lifetimes of up to 60 years

Photo: Kyushu Electric Power Co./dpa

A good eleven years after the reactor catastrophe in Fukushima, Japan is back to nuclear power.

The share of nuclear energy in the country's energy supply is set to rise to more than a fifth.

So far the main focus has been on restarting the reactors that were shut down after the accident, but now the construction of new nuclear power plants is even being discussed.

Specifically, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government is considering the development and construction of next-generation nuclear power plants.

Kishida announced that they would like to come to a conclusion in this regard by the end of the year.

This would be a significant departure from Japan's previous policy of not building additional nuclear power plants.

On top of that.

Japan, which is prone to earthquakes, is also planning to extend the service life of existing nuclear power plants to more than 60 years.

After all, the world's third largest economy, ahead of Germany, has set itself the goal of generating around 22 percent of its power supply from nuclear energy by April 1, 2030.

Before Fukushima, the proportion was around 30 percent, in 2020 it was just over five percent.

Japan wants to bring all old reactors back online

The new Japanese nuclear policy differs enormously from the German one.

Despite the energy crisis, the government in this country is arguing about a short extension of the operating times for the nuclear power plants that are still connected to the grid.

The Greens in particular have a hard time with such a stretching operation - or even with starting up nuclear power plants that have already been shut down.

They point to the risks of the technology.

In view of the fact that energy is becoming scarcer and more expensive, the attitude of the population has meanwhile changed.

After Fukushima, Germany actually decided to completely phase out nuclear energy by the end of 2022.

(Read here: Nuclear power? Yes please! )

Japan, on the other hand, introduced strict safety standards after the catastrophe in which a severe earthquake and a massive tsunami led to the worst-case scenario in 2011.

The operation of reactors was fundamentally limited to 40 years.

However, operation for another 20 years is possible if safety improvements are made.

So far, 17 nuclear reactors have met the tightened safety requirements, ten of which have since been restarted.

According to Kishida, everything will be done to get the other seven connected to the network.

Japan is not alone in its nuclear policy shift.

In Europe too, more and more countries are back to nuclear energy.

In Great Britain, Hinkley Point C is the first nuclear power plant to be built in more than 20 years, and the Sizewell power plant is also to receive a new unit.

New reactors are also being built in France and other EU countries.

In Sweden, ahead of the parliamentary elections in mid-September, liberal politicians are campaigning for the expansion of nuclear power because of the high energy prices.

apr/dpa

Source: spiegel

All business articles on 2022-08-24

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