JAPAN ATOMIC INDUSTRIAL FORUM, INC.

At New Year’s Party, JAIF Chairman Imai Stresses Necessity of Securing and Fostering Nuclear Human Resources

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) held its annual New Year's Party on January 8 at the Tokyo Prince Hotel, in central Tokyo. Some 900 people from JAIF member companies, universities, and the Japanese government, as well as representatives from various foreign embassies in Japan, gathered to mark the start of the new year.

JAIF President Emphasizes High Expectations Overseas for Japan’s Quality and Technological Strength

On December 20, President Akio Takahashi of the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) gave his final press briefing of the year. Looking back on the current year, he pointed out to progress in safety examinations by Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). Four domestic nuclear power plants cleared the new regulatory standards and resumed operation, he said, while the Tokai-2 (BWR, 1100MWe), owned and operated by the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC), obtained permission for a lifetime extension, the first ever for a BWR in Japan.

Strategic Road Map for Fast Reactor Development Finalized, with METI Minister Seko Urging Consistent, Continuous Efforts

On December 20, the Council on Fast Reactor Development, chaired by Minister Hiroshige Seko of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), held a meeting at which a strategic road map was approved specifying a development plan for fast reactors during the coming decade. The draft of the road map had been issued two days earlier by the council’s working group (photo). The road map will soon be referred to a ministerial meeting on nuclear energy.

Students Battle in Contest of Robots to Remove Fuel Debris

On December 15, sixteen teams competed in the third Robot Contest (Hairo Sozo Robocon) for students at Japanese colleges of technology (kosen), held at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s Naraha Remote Technology Development Center in Naraha Town, Fukushima Prefecture. It was sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Council for Cooperation among Colleges of Technology on Decommissioning Human Resource Development.

Hiroshima High Court Rules to Allow Ikata-3 to Restart

The Ikata-3 Nuclear Power Plant (PWR, 890MWe), owned and operated by the Shikoku Electric Power Co., in Ehime Prefecture, western Japan, is expected to resume operation, one year after being shut down. On September 25, the Hiroshima High Court (Presiding Judge Masayuki Miki) lifted the temporary injunction that it had issued in December 2017. The power company will now inspect the facility and equipment, and prepare to restart the plant.

International Mentoring Workshop in Science and Engineering for Women Held in Tokyo

On August 8 and 9, the “Joshikai II for Future Scientists: International Mentoring Workshop in Science and Engineering” was held in Tokyo at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (“Miraikan” in Japanese). Altogether, some fifty-one female students participated from three junior high and nine senior high schools in Japan, conducting experiments and engaging in discussions with women mentors from overseas.

11 January, 2019 Kei Yamada

At New Year’s Party, JAIF Chairman Imai Stresses Necessity of Securing and Fostering Nuclear Human Resources

In his opening address, JAIF Chairman Takashi Imai first referred to the fact that as of 2018, only nine nuclear power plants in Japan had cleared examinations under the new regulatory standards and been restarted. He said that the Tokai-2 (BWR, 1,100MWe), owned and operated by the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC), had obtained permission for a lifetime extension, the first ever for a BWR in Japan, and that although it might still take time to realize the resumption of its operation, restarting it “must certainly be carried out.” The chairman then mentioned the Atomic Energy Association (ATENA), an organization established by the Japanese nuclear industry in July 2018 for the purpose of improving nuclear safety. He said that he expected that the integration of knowledge and resources...more

11 January, 2019 Kei Yamada

Outlook for Energy Supply and Demand for Japan in Fiscal 2019 Sees Slower Adoption of Non-fossil Power Sources

On December 21, 2018, the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) released a report containing its outlook for the domestic energy situation during the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in April 2019. It based its calculations on such factors as domestic and international economic trends, fuel prices, and exchange rates.

According to the report, Japan’s domestic primary energy supply has been falling during the current fiscal year (through March 2019) following last year’s spike in consumption stemming from an unprecedented severe winter. In the next fiscal year, the figure is expected to reach 461.6 Mtoe, up just 0.2 percent, owing to expanded materials-based production and higher temperatures. Looking at nuclear power, IEEJ’s report cites the restart of nine domestic nuclear power plants that have met new regulatory standards, adding that they will have been in operation for an average of nine months during the current fiscal year. Their total generated electricity is expected to reach 61.2TWh, almost double the previous year’s amount. Because of safety compatibility examinations conducted...more

7 January, 2019 Kei Yamada

New Year’s Message for 2019

Greetings to all upon the start of the new year.

Last July, the Japanese Cabinet decided upon the 5th Strategic Energy Plan, which serves as the basis for the nation’s energy policy. Nuclear power continued to be positioned within that plan as an important base-load energy source. At the end of last year, moreover, the COP24 UN climate conference, held in Poland, adopted implementation guidelines for managing the Paris Agreement drafted in 2015. Though some expect nuclear power, as a base-load energy source for the stable supply of electricity, to play a significant role in combating climate change (global warming) as well, efforts must be made to gain the trust of society before it can do that. At the start of the new year, let me present the four principal activities that JAIF will engage itself in during the following year. 1.P...more

28 December, 2018 Kei Yamada

JAIF President Emphasizes High Expectations Overseas for Japan’s Quality and Technological Strength

The JAIF president then pointed to more recent developments, both in Japan and abroad. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) released a comprehensive technical report, with the government—coincidentally on the same day—finalizing its strategic road map specifying a development plan for fast reactors. In developments overseas, President Takahashi mentioned that the Wylfa Newydd project in England and the Sinop project in Turkey were both experiencing difficulties. Asked about news reports concerning the Wylfa Newydd project, he agreed that “cost is a factor,” but added that “expectations for Japan’s technology are solid.” Further asked about the significance of Japan’s exporting NPPs, the president said, “First, technology is Japan’s contribution to the world, includin...more