Amidst Wreckage and Nuclear Facilities
In the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, approximately 180 people have chosen to call Futaba home, a town situated near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Among them is Tatsuhiro Yamane, a tour guide who moved to Futaba in 2022 with his family, aiming to combat the stigma faced by those living in the disaster area.
Japan's energy landscape is a complex tapestry, woven with threads of tradition and change. The low prevalence of solar power in the country can be attributed to its entrenched energy policy, dominated by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for five decades. However, a glimmer of hope emerges in the form of villages where every roof is adorned with solar panels and every plot boasts a heat pump.
The government's current focus lies in the expansion of nuclear energy, hydrogen, and ammonia co-firing in coal-fired power plants, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions. Nobuo Tanaka, a former Director of the International Energy Agency, is among those advocating for a 'green industrial policy' that includes nuclear energy. Tanaka, who is currently the chairman of a research group on nuclear energy at the Canon Institute for Global Studies, argues that nuclear power is crucial for Japan's geopolitical energy independence.
On the other hand, Mika Ohbayashi, director of the Renewable Energy Institute, criticises the government's energy policy. Ohbayashi contends that nuclear power does not meet the demands of the climate crisis and will take at least 20 years for a new reactor to go into operation. Instead, she promotes accelerated expansion of solar, water, and wind power, with the goal of reaching 80% renewable energy by 2030.
Tanaka advocates for small modular nuclear reactors as a better, decentralized system. He cites benefits such as less highly enriched radioactive fuel, shorter radioactive waste storage period, and reduced contamination area in case of an accident. Yamane, despite harbouring a negative attitude towards nuclear power, acknowledges its importance for Japan's current energy consumption per person.
As of now, 13 reactors have been reactivated, with another 20 planned to resume operation. The current energy mix in Japan consists of 65% mainly imported fossil fuels, 25% renewable energies, and 10% nuclear power.
The Fukushima disaster led to the evacuation of up to 150,000 people. In response, there has been increased local interest in community-based energy governance and solar energy expansion, especially after the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, focusing on energy autonomy and endogenous development at the local level. However, there is no specific publicly available data on the exact number of local governments in Japan currently united in expanding solar power facilities.
In Tokyo, Tanaka advocates for better conditions in Japan and South Korea to achieve CO2-neutral electricity generation through hydrogen and nuclear power. Despite the ongoing debates, it is clear that Japan is at a crossroads, navigating the delicate balance between tradition and innovation, safety and sustainability, as it shapes its energy future.
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