6 Décembre 2013
December 6, 2013
Motegi: Govt. to abandon nuclear-free energy plan
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20131206_29.html
Japan's economy and industry minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, has repeated his view that the government plans to end the nuclear-free energy policy to maintain nuclear power generation.
Motegi told reporters on Friday about the government's draft of Japan's basic energy policy that will be submitted to a ministry panel later in the day.
The draft states that nuclear power generation is an important "base" source of electricity. The term refers to a power source capable of stably supplying a set amount of electricity.
Motegi said he understands that a debate is underway to continue nuclear power generation on the condition that the safety of power plants is ensured.
He added that this method of power generation allows the steady supply of electricity at a lower cost and without aggravating climate change.
Motegi said the government aims to compile a feasible, balanced and responsible energy plan as part of its efforts to review the contradictory energy policies of the past.
The remark implies that the government will reverse the energy policy of the previous Democratic government that seeks to end nuclear power generation in the 2030s.
Motegi also announced that the government will earmark funds worth about 470 million dollars in the current fiscal year's supplementary budget to deal with contaminated wastewater leaks and accelerate the decommissioning of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Dec. 6, 2013 - Updated 04:33 UTC
New energy plan calls nuclear generation important
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20131205_44.html
A draft of Japan's basic energy policy that government officials are composing calls nuclear power generation an important "base" source of electric energy.
The term refers to a power source capable of supplying a set amount of electricity stably.
Its inclusion in the draft appears to signal a major shift in Japan's energy policy under the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
A policy drawn up last year by the government of the Democratic Party aimed to end nuclear power generation in the 2030s.
That policy also said Japan would not build any more reactors. The new draft policy is likely to drop these goals.
Government officials say the plan will not specify the percentages of different energy sources in the overall supply due to uncertainties about when nuclear reactors could go back online.
The government hopes to finalize the plan early next year.
December 6, 2013
Kyodo
The Abe administration plans to say in a draft of the national medium-term energy plan that nuclear power should continue to be “important” in supplying electricity despite the Fukushima nuclear crisis, sources said.
The draft was to be presented Friday to a meeting of a panel tasked with compiling the so Basic Energy Plan before the end of December. The plan will become official after securing Cabinet approval, possibly early in the new year.
According to the sources, the draft will say nuclear power should be seen as an “important source of electricity,” because relying too much on thermal power generation would mean having to import more fuel and damaging the trade balance.
Concerns also remain over being highly dependent on Middle East countries for fossil fuel, given the region’s political instability.
Because it is unclear how many reactors will pass the stricter safety requirements compiled after the Fukushima catastrophe, the draft will not provide a concrete percentage for nuclear power’s role in the medium-term.
The draft will, however, say the nation will try to reduce its reliance on nuclear power in the future by introducing more renewable sources and promoting highly efficient thermal power generation.
It also include a policy change on the method for selecting the final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste, a long-running problem.
The government is now seeking to choose candidate sites across Japan that are suitable for building a disposal facility, rather than waiting for local governments to step to the plate.
The previous Basic Energy Plan compiled in 2010 aimed to boost reliance on nuclear power to some 50 percent of the nation’s energy needs in 2030 from around 30 percent.
After Fukushima, the previous administration led by the Democratic Party of Japan decided on an energy strategy aimed at phasing out nuclear power by the 2030s.
But it did not go so far as revising the Basic Energy Plan that was expected to stipulate detailed measures to achieve that strategy’s goal.