26 October, 2021
JAIF President’s Comments on the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan
On October 22, the Japanese Cabinet approved the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan. The first of the major principles stated for implementing the energy policy was the maintenance of a stable energy supply, based on the major premise of safety. It is significant that the importance of S+3E was recognized in that way: namely, maintaining environmental suitability while realizing supplies of energy at low cost, through improved economic efficiency.
4 October, 2021
JAIF Submits Comments on Recent Draft of the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan
On September 3, the Japanese government released its new Strategic Energy Plan (Draft) and made it open for public comments. It is significant for identifying the principle of “S+3E”—safety, along with the conventional three E’s of energy security, economy and environmental protection—as the basic viewpoint and major premise of national energy policy.
17 September, 2021
JAIF President’s Comments on Permission to Make Changes at Shimane-2
On September 15, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan finalized its approval to make changes to the reactor installation at the Shimane-2, owned and operated by the Chugoku Electric Power Co.
31 May, 2021
Information about Fukushima Daiichi NPPs Water Treatment
■The Japanese Government’s Announcement of the Basic Policy on handling of the ALPS treated water at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants
20 May, 2021
Takahama-1 and -2 and Mihama-3 NPPs Move to 60-Year Operation
On May 12, the Kansai Electric Power Co. (Kansai EP) announced its plans for restarting its Takahama-1 and -2 (PWRs, 826 MWe each) and Mihama-3 (PWR, 826 MWe) Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). It marks the first time in Japan that commercial reactors will have been restarted after obtaining permission to operate for sixty years.
26 April, 2021
Toward Achieving 46% Reduction in GHG Emissions by 2030
On April 22, at Japan’s Global Warming Prevention Headquarters, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced a new goal of cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 46 percent by 2030 from 2013 levels, adding that the nation would continue to endeavor toward a 50-percent cut. On the same day, the prime minister publicly committed Japan to that goal at the Leaders Summit on Climate, convened by President Joe Biden of the United States.
16 April, 2021
Decision on Disposal of ALPS Treated Water Stored at the Fukushima Daiichi NPPs
On April 13, the Japanese government’s Inter-Ministerial Council for Contaminated Water and Decommissioning Issues decided, as a basic policy, that contaminated water accumulated at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants of the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) would be released into the sea, having been treated by the multi-nuclide removal equipment known as the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS).
The international hybrid-style conference was held from November 8 to 12 in Vienna. Looking back on actions taken by individual countries and international organizations in the decade following the accident, the participants examined the lessons learned and reviewed the courses of action toward further improvements to nuclear safety. Attending the conference were various government officials, including regulatory authorities, as well as power operators from Japan and other countries.
Minister Hagiuda first reiterated his recognition that Japan has a responsibility to share its experience and lessons learned from the accident with nuclear safety experts around the world. Referring to the handling of ALPS treated water—water purified of radioactive substances other than tritium to levels ...
The additional contribution relates to the Copenhagen Accord from COP15 in 2009, in which developed countries agreed to a goal of mobilizing jointly to raise—publicly and privately—USD100 billion per year by the year 2020 to address the needs of developing countries.
According to the OECD, the amount raised in 2019 was only USD79.6 billion, and, although no data has been released, achieving the goal by 2020 appears to be difficult. Taking the initiative in compensating for the shortfall, Japan announced that it would make an additional contribution of up to USD10 billion over the coming five years.
That amount is in addition to the USD60-billion pledge of over five years in public and private assistance that Japan had announced earlier at the G7 summit meeting in June, as well as in ...
Regarding the release into the sea of water treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS-treated water), he told the press that seeing the overwhelming number of storage tanks, he keenly realized the importance of the issue, adding that action could not be postponed.
In April, the former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had decided to release the water into the sea. TEPCO plans to start the release in the spring of 2023.
Referring to opposition to the water release by various local parties, Prime Minister Kishida emphatically said, “Working together with the IAEA, the Japanese government will act transparently and explain the safety of the water from a scientific point of view. We will make full efforts to eliminate concerns.”
Positioning NPPs as an option to supply electri...
Minister Inoue began by praising IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi for his leadership in promoting the Agency’s professional activities despite the hardships of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Inoue also referred to Japan’s support for the Agency’s activities in the area of pandemic countermeasures.
Regarding decommissioning at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) a decade after the giant earthquake and nuclear accident of March 2011, the minister noted that reviews by the IAEA would be carried out on safety, regulation and monitoring in the matter of water treated with multi-nuclide removal equipment (ALPS: Advanced Liquid Processing System). Water meeting regulatory standards for substances other than tritium will be released into the sea.
Minister Inoue ...
