Japan unveils draft for updated energy plan

The draft is currently available for comments.

Japan has released the draft for its updated strategic energy plan, with nuclear still remaining to play a big part in the country's power generation.

According to the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, the draft of the 7th Strategic Energy Plan incorporates learnings from the March 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi, and the basic viewpoint of government’s S+3E policy, namely, the S of safety along with the three E’s of energy security, economic efficiency, and environmental protection.

The draft plan has omitted all references to “reducing dependency on nuclear power as much as possible.” As for the building of new and replacement nuclear plants, it states that the nation “will seek specific courses of actions enabling nuclear power operators to replace those NPPs whose decommissioning has already been decided with next-generation advanced reactors at those sites.”

Japan will also conduct a study for the development and installation of next-generation advanced reactors.

The Strategic Policy Committee met again on 25 December to finalise the draft which is now open to the public for comments.

The 7th Strategic Energy Plan will be finalized during the current fiscal year, along with related policies, such plans for measures against climate change. It is expected to be incorporated into the GX2040 Vision, including Japan’s industrial structure around 2040.