Japan Considers Plan to Expand Nuclear Power

Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida is pushing to restart as many as 17 nuclear reactors, more than a decade after the meltdown at Fukushima.

Tsuyoshi Suda , anti-nuclear activist, says Japan’s plans to invest in nuclear power are “a form of self-destruction”

In a sea change in the country’s energy policy, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced plans to build state-of-the-art reactors and restart those idled after the 2011 triple collapse, in a bid to end reliance on Japan from imported fossil fuels and help meet its net-zero target by 2050.

Kishida’s “green transformation” , which could include extending the life of existing reactors beyond the current maximum of 60 years, underscores Japan’s struggle to secure affordable energy supplies as a result of the war in Ukraine and a crisis energy that has prompted warnings of potential blackouts in Tokyo during this summer’s heat wave.

Most of Japan’s nuclear power plants have remained out of commission since the Fukushima collapse and previous governments have indicated they would not build new reactors or replace old ones, fearing backlash from a shocked and skeptical public.

Japan plans to have nuclear power account for 20-22% of its electricity supply by 2030, up from around a third before Fukushima . In 2020 the figure was less than 5%. Only 10 nuclear reactors out of more than 30 have been restarted since stricter safety standards were introduced after Fukushima.

However, if Kishida has his way, seven additional reactors will be restarted after next summer, including unit No. 2 at Onagawa , which suffered structural damage from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami , but escaped a catastrophic meltdown at despite being the closest atomic plant to the epicenter of the earthquake.

The restart was approved by Japan’s nuclear watchdog and Yoshihiro Murai, the governor of Miyagi, the prefecture where Onagawa is located, received “local consent.”

But many residents argue that contingency plans for possible accidents would put lives at risk.

“The evacuation plans will not work…they are a threat to the safety of the local population,” says Masami Hino, one of 17 residents living within a 30km radius of the plant who last year launched a legal action to block the reboot, now scheduled for early 2024.

In the event of a serious accident, 1,000 residents living within 5km of the plant would leave immediately, while 190,000 people within a 30km radius would evacuate in stages, according to the official plan.

“There will be huge traffic jams and we won’t be able to escape,” says Hino, citing an expert simulation, discounted by local authorities, showing it could take up to five days for everyone to reach safety.

“If there is an accident it is ridiculous to think that people are going to leave in an orderly fashion,” he said. “They will just get out as fast as they can and then be stuck for days without food, water or access to toilets.”

Critics say an evacuation following an accident would clog the area’s narrow, winding roads, leaving people at risk of radiation exposure. Most would leave in private cars, but others would have to board buses. The plant’s operator, Tohoku Electric Power, and local authorities would provide nearly 1,000 staff to test people for radiation exposure before directing them to temporary shelters.

“How can Tohoku Electric and the prefecture ensure that an evacuation goes smoothly after something like a big earthquake? It’s impossible,” says Mikiko Abe, an independent member of the Onagawa town assembly who has campaigned for the plant’s closure for 40 years.

“Instead of planning an evacuation, wouldn’t it be better to live safely in a place where there is no need to even think about fleeing our homes?”

Kishida’s response to energy insecurity and the climate crisis has won the backing of Fatih Birol, director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who said restarting more nuclear plants in Japan, one of the biggest consumers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the world. – would release more LNG and help ease Europe’s winter energy supply fears.

Domestic opposition to a larger role for nuclear power in the energy mix appears to be weakening. A poll by the trade newspaper Nikkei in June found that 53% of those polled agreed with bringing the reactors back into service if their safety could be guaranteed , the first time support for restarting had overcome opposition since tripling. 2011 disaster.

While pro-nuclear members of the Miyagi prefectural assembly have helped resist calls for a referendum, an April poll by the local newspaper Kahoku Shinpo found that 56% of residents were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed. ” upon reboot.

“All of Japan’s nuclear power plants are on the coast… and this is a country that has earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes,” says Tsuyoshi Suda, a member of the local anti-nuclear group Kaze no Kai, as he looks around the entire plant. with a newly built 29 meter high dam – from a nearby beach.

“Japan’s continuing to put its faith in nuclear power plants is like a form of self-destruction.”