DAVID HESS | OPINION


While the world is now in awe of China nuclear power plant construction performance and South Korea is the poster child of


nuclear energy success as a result of Barakah project and numerous domestic new builds, it pays to remember that Japan is essentially the OG of efficient nuclear construction.


is the poster child of nuclear energy success as a result of Barakah project and numerous domestic new builds, it pays to remember that Japan is essentially the OG of efficient nuclear construction. Fast forward to today and it is clear that the Japanese people are warming back up to nuclear energy. A global energy shock and some winter deep freeze events have reminded them of why the country decided to lean so heavily into nuclear energy in the first place. As of writing, some 15 Japanese nuclear power reactors have finally restarted – approaching half of the remaining operable fleet. Domestic new build is also back on the cards with the


paused Ohma and Shimane 3 nuclear projects vying to restart, while Kansai Electric has even begun surveys for construction of a new nuclear plant at Mihama. Rejoining the technology race, MHI is developing the SRZ-1200 for domestic construction, while both Toshiba and Hitachi appear to be offering variants of the ABWR – the iBR and HI-ABWR, respectively, although information on all these are unfortunately scant at this stage. They presumably incorporate the country’s new safety requirements. In short, the country seems to be well on the way to re- emerging as a nuclear player. But where are the Japanese overseas reactor projects – or even as a first step, the reactor technologies available for export? There appear to be none at the moment. The one exception to this is the BWRX-300 which appears to be more of a product of GE than Hitachi. The BWRX-300 construction is now proceeding at Darlington, although it is unclear exactly what Hitachi’s stake in the project is. Hitachi apparently was involved in the design effort and is supplying critical reactor components for the first unit. Perhaps still shocked from their initial foray into


overseas markets, the Japanese nuclear vendors seem content to take the role of second tier supplier – providing equipment and heavy forgings – but not putting their own technology on the global stage. Moreover, through the recent high-profile trade deal with the USA, the Japanese nuclear sector seems to be under Trump’s thumb – made to play second fiddle to US reactor exports and accepting scraps in the international nuclear market.


Around the world the nuclear revival is well underway.


Many countries want the technology, but they are faced with a genuinely difficult question of where they will get it from. This question is made additionally difficult for those countries which choose to eschew Russian and Chinese reactor technologies. The order book of some of the established Western vendors is beginning to look rather long. And, while energy shortages may not be that much of a


threat in developed countries, they are acute in emerging economies and the least developed countries. Do nuclear business in Africa and don’t be surprised if someone asks if you can complete a nuclear project there this year or the next, or perhaps bring a nuclear-powered barge in to plug a shortfall. The demand for clean reliable energy here is desperate, and yet there are precious few vendors that are ready or willing to undertake projects there. Put bluntly it is time for the Japanese reactor export


sector to awaken. All that technical capability, that hard won construction experience, the painfully learned safety lessons from the accident deserve to be embedded into nuclear projects abroad and shared with those countries that are now stumbling around trying to find their nuclear footing. Like South Korea, Japan could play a pivotal role in establishing nuclear newcomer markets as well as supplying established ones. It would be amazing to see the remaining Japanese vendors banding together to learn from the mistakes of the past and seek to get involved in international nuclear projects in a way where they can establish their technology – without exposing themselves to company- sinking risk like that seen in the past. Perhaps they could band together to support a single


export design? Or perhaps they need a private project development partner. One which identifies and nurtures promising opportunities, bringing in the right local players and insulating Japanese vendors from unfamiliar risks. We see something similar happening in the SMR space, where private SMR project developers are seeking to work with one or two vendors only, so as to ensure standardised build across projects.


However it happens, the nuclear sector – nay the entire world – would surely benefit from the re-emergence of a Japanese reactor export sector. ■


Put bluntly it is time for the Japanese reactor export sector to awaken. All that technical capability, that hard won construction experience, the painfully learned safety lessons from the accident deserve to be embedded into nuclear projects abroad and shared with those countries that are now stumbling around trying to find their nuclear footing.


www.neimagazine.com | March 2026 | 15


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