Japan’s parliament has recently passed a new law that removes the limit on the operation of the country’s nuclear power plants. With the previous rule being only a maximum of 60 years, this new regulation effectively eliminates running times. The reasoning behind this move is Japan’s effort to decrease its dependency on oil and gas imports. The country aims to achieve CO₂ neutrality by 2050, which includes expanding renewable energies.
Following the worst-case scenario at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011, Japan shut down all nuclear power plants and decided against building new ones. However, the country has made a political about-face and looks to replace old reactors with plants of a newer design. Currently, only 10 of 33 reactors are connected to the grid, and for Japan to achieve its goal of covering around 20 to 22 percent of energy requirements with nuclear power by 2023, up to 30 reactors must be in operation.
Despite concerns over the potential risk of earthquakes, the current government considers it manageable. Regular safety checks have been put in place by the law to ensure the safety of nuclear power plant operations. The reason behind Japan’s nuclear power movement is the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the global energy supply. Japan, which has few raw materials, has been the world’s largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in recent years.
In conclusion, Japan’s parliament’s decision to allow unlimited operation of nuclear power plants comes from its aim to decrease dependency on oil and gas imports. With the addition of renewable energies, Japan could achieve CO₂ neutrality by 2050. Despite past concerns, the country believes that earthquakes’ risks are manageable, and safety checks have been increased to ensure safe operations. The government plans to cover around 20 to 22 percent of energy requirements with nuclear power by 2023, which requires up to 30 reactors to be in operation.
