Photo/Illutration The No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture, foreground, right, which resumed operations on Oct. 29 (Masaaki Kobayashi)

Nuclear power accounted for 8.5 percent of Japan’s total electricity generation in fiscal 2023, the highest level since 2012, the industry ministry said.

The ratio rose by 2.9 percentage points from the previous fiscal year, driven by reactor restarts, including the No. 2 unit at the Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture.

However, overall electricity demand declined, with total power generation dropping by 1.6 percent to 985.5 billion kilowatt-hours.

In fiscal 2010, nuclear power accounted for 25.1 percent of Japan’s electricity, but all reactors were shut down for about two years starting in summer 2013, after the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant caused by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

As reactors gradually resumed operations, the nuclear share has been increasing. The share is expected to rise further in fiscal 2024.

The No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture was brought back online in October 2024, and the No. 2 reactor at the Shimane nuclear power plant in Shimane Prefecture is set to restart in December.

On the other hand, renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power, saw limited growth.

Renewables accounted for 22.9 percent of total power generation in fiscal 2023, up 1.1 percentage point from the previous fiscal year.

Renewable energy generation and its share doubled over the 10 years from fiscal 2013, following the introduction of the feed-in tariff system in 2012, which requires utilities to purchase renewable energy at prices set by the government.

However, growth has slowed since around fiscal 2019 due to a lack of suitable locations for new installations.

The share of thermal power generation, including coal, liquefied natural gas and oil, fell by 4 percentage points to 68.6 percent. It temporarily reached 88.6 percent after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions fell by 40 million tons to 920 million tons, the lowest level since fiscal 1990.

The 2021 version of the government’s basic energy plan, which outlines Japan’s medium- to long-term energy policy, sets targets for the energy mix in fiscal 2030. It projects 20 to 22 percent for nuclear power, 36 to 38 percent for renewables and 41 percent for thermal power.

The basic energy plan is revised around every three years, and experts on the ministry’s advisory panel are discussing the next revision of the plan. The focus is on the share of electricity to be generated from nuclear power and the overall mix.

Related News