Latest news with #post-Fukushima
Japan Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Japan approves first restart of a nuclear reactor in four years
Japan's atomic watchdog cleared the first nuclear restart since 2021, a shot in the arm for the government's effort to increase power generation from the energy source and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday approved a preliminary report saying Hokkaido Electric Power's Tomari No. 3 reactor meets post-Fukushima safety rules, according to a live stream of the hearing. Hokkaido Electric's president said in March that he expected the unit to restart in 2027. Although the government recently approved a new energy strategy to maximize the use of nuclear power, restarts of units shuttered following the 2011 Fukushima disaster have been slow. Fewer than half of Japan's 33 operable reactors have resumed due to lengthy regulatory checks and upgrades, as well as local opposition. After a public comment period, the regulator's report will be subject to formal approval. The Tomari reactor has been shut since 2012.
Bloomberg
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Japan Approves First Restart of a Nuclear Reactor in Four Years
Japan's atomic watchdog cleared the first nuclear restart since 2021, a shot in the arm for the government's effort to increase power generation from the energy source and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday approved a preliminary report saying Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari No. 3 reactor meets post-Fukushima safety rules, according to a live stream of the hearing. Hokkaido Electric's president said in March that he expected the unit to restart in 2027.
Japan Times
10-03-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Japan needs collective public support to reach its nuclear goals
Nuclear power has played a pivotal role in Japan's energy journey and, in the post-Fukushima and Paris Agreement world, there is enthusiasm for its potential in strengthening energy security and reducing emissions. The government is passionately On the one hand, Japan's domestic environment is favorable to this vision as the taboo around nuclear energy prompted by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident is slowly eroding.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Thousands evacuated as Japan's biggest fire in decades continues to burn
Japan has deployed more than 2,000 firefighters to battle the country's biggest forest fire in three decades. At least one person has died in the blaze, which has torched more than 5,200 acres around the northern Japanese city of Ofunato since Thursday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA). Although January to March is typically Ofunato's driest season, the area saw less rainfall last month than any February in more than 20 years - recording just 2.5 millimetres, compared to the usual average of 41. About 4,600 people remain under government-issued evacuation orders as the fire continues to burn. Some 2,000 have already left the area to stay with friends or relatives, and more than 1,200 have evacuated to shelters, officials said. The fires are burning in a forest area of Iwate Prefecture, which is Japan's second largest prefecture and has the country's second-lowest population density. More than 80 buildings are estimated to have been damaged so far, although FDMA noted that details are still being assessed. "Although it is inevitable that the fire will spread to some extent, we will take all possible measures to ensure there will be no impact on people's homes," Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in parliament. Thousands of firefighters from 14 prefectures, including Tokyo, have been dispatched to fight the fires. At least 16 helicopters are also being used, with images showing the aircraft dumping water onto the smouldering hills. Like many other countries, Japan in 2024 recorded its hottest year since records began. It is difficult to know if climate change has caused or worsened specific fires, because other factors - such as changes to the way land is used - are also relevant. However, the IPCC says climate change is making the weather conditions needed for wildfires to spread more likely. Have you been evacuated? Send us your story. WATCH: Heavy snow hits Japan as wintry weather reaches peak Is the downfall of a Japanese star a turning point for women's rights? Japan to increase reliance on nuclear energy in post-Fukushima shift
The Independent
18-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Japan adopts new carbon reduction targets, energy plan to boost nuclear and renewables by 2040
Japan 's government adopted on Tuesday new decarbonization targets aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% from 2013 levels over the next 15 years, approving a renewed energy plan to help meet the goal. This is part of an updated climate plan expected to help the country achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Here is what to know about the Japanese climate goals: What are Japan's new decarbonization targets? Under the new climate plan adopted by the Cabinet, Japan aims to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2035 from the 2013 levels, and by 73% by 2040. Japan has previously set a 46% reduction target for 2030. The goals are known as a Nationally Determined Contribution, or NDC, under the Paris Agreement, and will be submitted to the United Nations. The 2035 target for Japan, still struggling to reduce its fossil fuel reliance has faced criticism from environmental groups because it is still 6 points short of the reduction needed to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels under the Paris Agreement. Will Japan's new energy plan help decarbonization goals? The plan replaces the current version set in 2021 and calls for bolstering renewables up to half of electricity needs by 2040 while maximizing the use of nuclear power to accommodate the growing power demand in the era of AI while meeting decarbonization targets. It marks an end to Japan's nuclear energy phaseout policy adopted after the 2011 meltdown crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant that led to extensive displacement of residents and lingering anti-nuclear sentiment. The new energy plan says that nuclear power should account for 20% of Japan's energy supply in 2040 while expanding renewables to 40-50% from nearly 23% and reducing coal-fired power to 30-40% from nearly 70%. The current plan set a 20-22% target for nuclear energy, 36-38% for renewables, and 41% for fossil fuel, for 2030. The energy plan places renewables as the main power source and calls for the development of next-generation energy sources, such as solar batteries and portable solar panels. What are the prospects for bolstering nuclear energy? Difficult, given the slow and cautious pace of screening by the nuclear regulators and persistent safety concerns and opposition by the residents in the neighboring communities. In order to achieve a 20% target, almost all 33 workable reactors need to be restarted. Nuclear energy accounted for just 8.5% of Japan's power supply in 2023, with only 13 reactors currently online. The plan calls for acceleration of the restarts of reactors that meet the post-Fukushima safety standards and proposes the construction of next-generation reactors — at plants where existing reactors are being decommissioned. The IAEA chief was at a nuclear power plant in Niigata The International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi was at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world's largest in the country's northcentral prefecture of Niigata on Tuesday, becoming the first IAEA chief to do so. Grossi was there to ensure the safety of the plant as it prepared to restart two of its seven reactors that had passed the safety test following a series of safeguarding problems. The government is pushing for a restart under its energy and climate plans, while a restart would also help improve business for the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, struggling with the massive cost of decommissioning the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi. A restart is still uncertain because of safety concerns among the residents in the plant's host towns.
