Since the 2011 #Fukushima accident, Japan has restarted 14 #NuclearReactors

1/10/2025

"Japanese utilities restarted two additional nuclear reactors in 2024 that had been suspended from operations in response to the 2011 #FukushimaDaiichi accident, taking the total number of restarted reactors to 14 since the accident.

"In November, #TohokuElectricPowerCo. restarted its 796-megawatt (MW) #Onagawa Unit 2 reactor, and in December #ChugokuElectricPowerCo. restarted its #Shimane Unit 2 (789 MW). Onagawa is the nuclear power plant located closest to the epicenter of the March 2011 #earthquake and tsunami.

"Most of the restarted reactors have been pressurized water reactors (PWR) located in western Japan. Onagawa Unit 2 and Shimane Unit 2, by contrast, are the first boiling water reactors (BWR) to be restarted. Onagawa Unit 2 is also the first reactor in the eastern part of the country to be restarted. Japan’s nuclear regulator prioritized the restart of PWRs due to public safety concerns regarding BWR technology, which is the design of the Fukushima Daiichi units.

"Japan suspended its nuclear fleet from 2013 to 2015 for mandatory safety checks and upgrades following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident. Before the accident, 54 commercial nuclear reactors were operating in Japan, and nuclear power accounted for approximately 30% of the country’s electricity generation. Nuclear restarts have proceeded slowly since the first two units (#Sendai Units 1 and 2) were restarted in 2015. Restarts have been slow due to a significantly more stringent safety inspection and authorization process established after the accident and local court injunctions emerging from ongoing public safety concerns in some regions. Public support for restarts has been growing in Japan recently, however.

"Under the current restart process, once regulatory approvals have been granted, the local municipality and prefectural governments are consulted prior to restart. In addition to the 14 reactors already restarted, three more units (namely, the #KashiwazakiKariwa Unit 6 and Unit 7 and the #TokaiDaini unit) have received regulatory approval to restart but have yet to do so. Tohoku Electric Power announced in 2018 that Onagawa Unit 1 would be decommissioned rather than upgraded, but the utility plans to seek approval to restart Onagawa Unit 3. Restarting another 10 units is under regulatory review.

"The suspension of Japan's nuclear fleet after the Fukushima accident significantly increased dependence on natural gas, oil, and coal imports to make up for lost domestic nuclear generation. It also significantly increased the installed capacity of solar photovoltaic generation in the country, according to data from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Japan has limited domestic fossil fuel resources and imports virtually all the fossil fuels it uses. Consequently, Japan is the world's second-largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after China and the third-largest importer of coal.

"As part of Japan’s sixth long-term energy plan, last updated in October 2021, the central government called for the nuclear share of the country’s electricity generation to reach 20%–22% by 2030. Nuclear power accounted for about 6% of Japan’s electricity generation in 2023. A draft of Japan’s seventh long-term energy plan was released on December 17, 2024, and says nuclear power should account for 20% of Japan’s energy supply in 2040.

"Japan’s current policy intends to maximize the use of existing reactors by restarting as many units as possible and extending the #LicensedOperatingLife beyond the current 60-year limit."

Source:
http://gasprocessingnews.com/news/2025/01/since-the-2011-fukushima-accident-japan-has-restarted-14-nuclear-reactors/
#NoNukesForAI #RenewablesNow #RethinkNotRestart #NoMoreFukushimas #TEPCOLies #KEPCOLies #NoNukes #NuclearPlants #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies

#AI and [#ComputerChip] Manufacturing Drive #Japan's #Nuclear Energy Expansion

By ZeroHedge - Dec 11, 2024

- Japan's #Shimane nuclear reactor has restarted for the first time since the 2011 #Fukushima disaster, marking a significant step in the country's renewed embrace of nuclear power.
- Tech giants like #Meta are actively seeking nuclear power solutions to meet the growing energy demands of their #DataCenters and AI initiatives.
- The global resurgence of #NuclearPower is driven by factors such as increasing energy needs, the push for decarbonization, and advancements in nuclear technology.

"The world continues to 'warm' back up to nuclear, with the latest example coming out of Japan, where its Shimane nuclear power station in western Japan has been restarted for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima meltdown.

"Japan's long-delayed restart of the 820 MW No. 2 reactor at the Shimane plant, shut down since January 2012, raises the number of operational reactors to 14, with a total capacity of 13,253 MW, according to Reuters.

"#TohokuElectricPower also recently resumed operations of its 825 MW No. 2 reactor at the #Onagawa plant, reducing Japan's reliance on liquefied natural gas and thermal coal.

"Reuters writes that the expanded use of nuclear energy is expected to support Japan's growing power needs, particularly for #semiconductor plants and AI-driven #DataCenters."

Read more:
https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/AI-and-Chip-Manufacturing-Drive-Japans-Nuclear-Energy-Expansion.html

#NoNukes #NuclearIsNotCarbonFree #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukesForAI #NoNukesJapan #FukushimaIsntOver #ThermalEnergy #TidalEnergy #RenewablesNow #TEPCOLies #KEPCOLies #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies

Court rejects request to halt restarted #Onagawa #nuclear in Miyagi, Japan

Local residents filed the lawsuit against Tohoku Electric in 2021, claiming that an evacuation plan established for a nuclear accident at the plant's #2 reactor was not effective. ☢️ #Japan https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/11/28/japan/onagawa-court-reject/