Demonstrators protest against nuclear power plants and against Japan's discharge of treated radioactive water from Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean, in front of the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, 11 March 2024, marking the 13th anniversary of the 2011 magnitude 9.0 'Great East Japan Earthquake'. The earthquake and tsunami that triggered the nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on 11 March 2011 has killed 15,900 people, with 2,520 people still missing, according to the National Police Agency. The Reconstruction Agency data showed another 3,802 disaster-related deaths due to worsening injury and illness, as of the end of December 2023. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA
The proposal, outlined at a meeting on nuclear policy, reflects a shift towards greater reliance on atomic energy to help meet rising power demand and reduce costly fuel imports.
The 14 new nuclear power plants would have a capacity of about 16 gigawatts (GW), METI said.
Japan shut its 54 operating nuclear reactors after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, due to public fear about the industry’s safety standards. Of the 33 units that remain operable, 15 have been restarted.
Tokyo last year revised its basic energy policy to maximise the use of nuclear power. However, many reactors are approaching or exceeding their 60-year operational lifespans, raising concerns about a future decline in nuclear capacity even if restarts of idled plants continue.
By setting concrete replacement targets, the government aims to improve predictability for utilities, the draft said.
The moves also come as demand for electricity is expected to rise sharply, driven by data centres for AI.
Under the current energy plan, Japan aims to double the share of nuclear power in its electricity mix to around 20% by fiscal 2040. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a strong backer of nuclear power, seeking to ease the bill for imported coal, gas and oil, which fuel 60% to 70% of Japan’s power generation.
Public trust in nuclear energy has yet to fully recover following safety concerns and recent controversies, including Chubu Electric’s falsification of seismic risk assessments for its Hamaoka nuclear plant.
(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Sonali Paul)