COUNTRY PAVILLIONS | WNE2025 Japan: Restarts and reforms for nuclear rebirth
In the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster the Japanese nuclear fleet was shut down and became subject to even more stringent conditions to restart. Now nuclear is coming back.
This image: Shimane unit 3 is a new reactor located in Kashima in the city of Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. Source: Qurren
1100 MWe BWRs. Tepco had intended to restart unit 7 this summer after it was loaded with fuel in April 2024. However, Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi has reportedly not yet decided whether he will support the restart, saying he needs to hear the opinions of prefectural residents, including mayors of municipalities. In addition, in February, Tepco postponed the completion date of an anti-terrorism facility
Japan has historically depended on nuclear power due to limited domestic energy resources and prior to the triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant – triggered by the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami – nuclear accounted for approximately 30% of the country’s electricity generation. There were plans in place for further expansion too. However, the disastrous tsunami initiated an immediate shutdown of nearly all of the country’s reactors and prompted the introduction of significantly more stringent safety regulations. Today Japan has 33 operable reactors will a combined
capacity of more than 30 GW. However, with the new safety requirements established by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) in the wake of the accident, most of the fleet is still in the process of being restarted. Following detailed safety inspections and analysis, the first
two reactors restarted during 2015 and, in the decade since, a further 11 have also connected to the grid after restart. Another 12 of Japan’s reactors are currently at various stages
of the restart approval process. In June, for example, Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) announced that it had begun loading a second reactor with fuel at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant in Niigata Prefecture. One of the world’s largest nuclear power plants, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa houses seven reactors with a total capacity of 8210 MWe. Units 6&7, both 1350 MWe advanced boiling water reactors (ABWRs) began commercial operations in November 1996 and July 1997. The plant has been shut down since the disaster and is Tepco’s only nuclear plant after it decided to decommission its Fukushima Daiichi and Daiini stations. The work to load 872 fuel assemblies into unit 6 at the site began after NRA approval but Tepco still needs to obtain consent from the local communities to restart. The remaining five reactors, which started commercial operations between 1985 and 1994, are all
for the reactor until August 2029. This is a requirement for its restart, however Tepco can provisionally operate the reactor until September 2029 if it gains consent from the local communities. Japan has previously indicated that it would accelerate the
process of restarts given the aftermath of the war between Ukraine and Russia and its impact on the cost of imported fuels, but this strategy has achieved limited results so far. Alongside its plans to return units to service, Japan is also
actively pursuing a strategy for plant life extension. In June a law that will allow nuclear power plants to operate beyond 60 years took effect. This limit was introduced in the wake of the Fukushima disaster but the amended law reflects the impact of the more than decade-long pauses in operations. In addition to Japan’s existing reactor fleet, two reactors – Ohma and Shimane unit 3 – are still under construction. These new units must also apply for start-up under the new stricter rules but are targeting around 2030 to become operational. Nonetheless, while Japan is turning back towards nuclear
energy Fukushima continues to present both technical and public relations challenges for Japan. One major issue is the handling of large volumes of treated
radioactive water stored at the site. The Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), removes all radioisotopes from this water except tritium. The treated water is diluted with seawater prior to discharge and in September an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Task Force declared that the discharge of this water is proceeding in line with international safety standards. It is the fourth report since the water discharges began in August 2023 with more than 100,000 m³ of water released across the first 15 batches. In the 2025 financial year there will be seven discharges each releasing approximately 7,800m³ for an annual discharge of some 54,600m³. The discharge programme is expected to continue over roughly 30 years.
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