Japan expired its nuclear power plants after Fukushima. He has just reversed with a overwhelming law

14 years after Fukushima disasterJapan has pressed the reset button in its nuclear policy with a new law that It has just come into force and will allow the nuclear reactors to operate beyond 60 years.

Energy Pendulazo. Behind him 2011 disasterJapan imposed a strict limit to the useful life of nuclear power plants: they could operate for 40 years, with a possible extent to 60 years if they exceeded rigorous security tests. Now, that barrier has vanished as a solution to the energy challenges facing the country.

Stop the clock. The law introduces an ingenious formula To extend the useful life of Japanese nuclear centrals: the periods in which a reactor has been inactive due to “unpredictable circumstances” will now not count in their operating age. This includes stops for security reviews or judicial suspensions, provided they are not due to a negligence of the operator.

The clearest example is that of reactor 1 of the Central de Takahama. Inaugurated in 1974, he is the oldest in the country. After Fukushima, He was standing for about 12 years. With the new law, that time “does not count”, which would allow it, in theory, to continue working until 2047, reaching a useful life of 72 years. Of course, the new law is accompanied by a strengthening of supervision.

The reasons for change. The 180 degree turn in Japanese nuclear policy responds to a perfect geopolitical storm. The Russian invasion of Ukraine shook world energy markets, evidencing the dangerous Japan dependence on imported fossil fuels.

On the other hand, the government provides for a massive increase in electrical demand promoted by artificial intelligence and the manufacture of semiconductors, two strategic sectors for the future of the country. As a fourth world economy and fifth CO2 issuer, Japan has the ambitious objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Nuclear energy, free of direct emissions, is now an indispensable tool to achieve it.

The new Japanese energy mix. The road map is clear: Japan aspires to Renewables are the main source of energy By 2040, but nuclear energy will play a fundamental role. For that same date, the country expects atomic energy to represent about 20% of the country’s energy supply, a gigantic leap from 5.6% of 2022.

Image | Hirorinmasa (CC by-SA 3.0)

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