Japan's new energy plan should state clear nuclear policy -utilities group head

KYUDEN Holdings

19/01/2024 10:43

TOKYO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Japan's new basic energy plan
should clearly state a nuclear power policy that backs building
new reactors and replacing existing ones to help the country
meet its 2050 goal of carbon neutrality, the head of Japan's
utilities group said on Friday.
    Japan is set to start discussions later this year to revise
the plan, which sets the framework for energy policy.
    The current plan, which was approved by the cabinet in
October 2021, did not mention building new nuclear plants or
replacing existing ones, but stated that Japan aimed to reduce
its reliance on nuclear power as much as possible.
    "The need to replace and build new nuclear power plants must
be clearly stated in the new energy plan in order to help Japan
achieve carbon neutrality by 2050," Kazuhiro Ikebe, the chairman
of Japan's federation of electric utilities, told a press
conference.
    This will be the first revision of the energy plan since
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a major nuclear power policy
shift in 2022, signalling the country would restart idled
nuclear plants and look to extend the lifespan of existing ones 
to tackle an energy crisis triggered by the Ukraine war.
    Japan had kept most of its nuclear plants idled in the
decade following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
    "The basic energy plan is a compass for considering and
implementing the future energy policy," Ikebe, who is also the
president of Kyushu Electric Power Co Inc  9508.T , said.
    "It's important to consider how to ensure a sustainable
electric power business to secure a stable supply while taking
into account future uncertainties ...we will cooperate with the
review of the plan," he said. 

 (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Alex Richardson)
 ((Yuka.Obayashi@thomsonreuters.com; +813-4563-2761;))