News Japan government back to promoting nuclear energy

After public sentiment turned sour on nuclear power following a nuclear disaster in March 2011 triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami, the government repeatedly said it was not considering building new nuclear reactors or replacing existing ones. But the war in Ukraine has driven energy prices sharply higher and threatened stable energy supplies for Japan, a resource-scarce country that relies heavily on fossil fuel imports, prompting officials to look into greater use of nuclear power. The government aims to submit the relevant bills to implement the new policy to an ordinary parliamentary session that will convene early next year, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a meeting focused on achieving the country's green transformation. Green transformation is an initiative to transform the economy based on fossil fuels into one centered on cleaner energy, such as solar and wind power.

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Nine residents of Kyoto, Fukui and Shiga prefectures submitted the lawsuit seeking the temporary injunction on the grounds the risk of a major accident at the reactor had increased because of the more than four decades the plant has been in use. In June 2021, the reactor became the first more than 40 years old to resume operations after the 2011 triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The plaintiffs also argued that a fault directly under the plant as well as in the vicinity of the plant site created the possibility of the foundation under the plant shifting. Noting the many nuclear plants in Fukui Prefecture, the plaintiffs also argued that Kansai Electric Power Co.'s evacuation plan for the Mihama plant was inadequate and did not consider the possibility of simultaneous accidents at the other plants.

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Majestic said:

Fukushima had the paradoxical effect of turning me away from being an anti-nuclear person, into a cautiously accepting person. I think it is inevitable that nuclear power will become a bigger part of the world's energy production. Its a difficult political decision, because nuclear accidents are spectacular, while mortality from fossil fuels are higher but less spectacular.

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thomas said:

adopted a plan to extend the lifespan of nuclear reactors

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