TOKYO — A government-commissioned panel of experts on Wednesday backed Japan’s new energy policy for the coming years, calling for renewables to boost up to half of electricity needs by 2040, maximizing the use of nuclear power as the country seeks to meet growing power demand. As they meet in the age of AI decarbonization goals.
The Ministry of Industry submitted a draft of the plan for final review by a panel of 16 members, mostly pro-nuclear, from business, academia and civil society groups. It calls for maximizing the use of nuclear power, reversing the phase-out policy adopted after the collapse crisis at Fukushima Daiichi In 2011, massive displacement of residents and anti-nuclear sentiment persisted.
The plan will receive Cabinet approval by March after a consultation period, after which it will replace the current energy policy, which runs until 2021. The new proposal says nuclear power should make up just 20% of Japan’s energy supply by 2040. 8.5% last year, expanding renewables to 40-50%, coal energy was reduced from 22.9% to 22.9% and almost to 30-40%. 70% last year.
The current plan set a target of 20-22% for nuclear power, 36-38% for renewables and 41% for fossil fuels by 2030.
Demand for low-carbon energy such as renewables and nuclear is growing due to demand for data centers using AI and semiconductor factories across the country.
Industry Minister Yoji Muto, who attended Wednesday’s panel discussion, said Japan needs to strengthen its energy security without relying too much on a single source.
“How we can secure decarbonized energy determines Japan’s future growth,” Muto said. “It is time to stop debating the choice between renewable energy and nuclear. We should maximize the use of renewable and nuclear energy.”
Japan has set a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050and a 73% reduction by 2040 compared to 2013 levels.
The draft energy plan places renewables as the main source of energy and calls for the development of next-generation energy sources such as solar batteries and portable solar panels.
It outlines a number of risk scenarios, including lower-than-expected investment and the possibility of cost reductions in renewables. However, some experts said the plan lacked a 2040 feasibility forecast or a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels.
The plan also calls for speeding up restarts of reactors that meet post-Fukushima safety standards, and proposes building next-generation reactors at plants where existing reactors are being decommissioned.
However, to reach the 20% target, all of Japan’s 33 operable reactors must be brought back online, with only 14 operating after the Fukushima disaster. Given the pace of safety checks by the nuclear regulatory authority, experts say it would be difficult to meet the target.
Despite criticism and skepticism about its feasibility, Japan is still struggling to develop advanced reactors and a spent fuel reprocessing program to achieve the full nuclear fuel cycle.
