28 July, 2021
METI’s Committee Shows Rough Draft of Next Strategic Energy Plan
On July 21, a rough draft of Japan’s next Strategic Energy Plan was presented at the Strategic Policy Committee, under the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy. Because 3 years have passed since the current plan was issued, the Japanese government has been addressing its revision since last fall. The policy committee is chaired by Takashi Shiraishi, chancellor of the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.
At the start of the meeting, Minister Hiroshi Kajiyama, head of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said, “Given Japan’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, along with the new target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 46% from 2013 levels by the year 2030, efforts are very important in the energy field, in which greenhouse gas emissions account for more than 80% of total emissions.” He asked the policy committee to deepen its deliberations based on the draft.
From the dual perspectives of responding to climate change and overcoming issues in Japan’s energy supply-and-demand structure, the draft of the new Strategic Energy Plan primarily focuses on three areas:
The decade since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi.
Issues and actions toward realizing carbo...more
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2 July, 2021
Mihama-3 Restarted After Decade-long Hiatus: First Restart in Japan of a Reactor Operating Beyond 40 Years
On June 29, the Mihama-3 Nuclear Power Plant (PWR, 826MW) of the Kansai Electric Power Co. (Kansai EP) began to again generate power after a hiatus of slightly more than 10 years.
Mihama-3 originally began commercial operation in December 1976. In May 2011, the unit entered a periodic inspection, when it underwent examinations by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) for compatibility with the new regulatory standards and for permission to extend its operating lifetime to up to 60 years.
The unit was restarted on June 23, 2021, becoming the first in Japan to be restarted after operating for more than 40 years. A period of adjustment operations is now underway before the final stage of the periodic inspection, i.e., connection to the grid. After a final inspection by the NRA, Mihama-3 is expected to resume commercial service on July 27.
In addition to work on safety measures based on the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi, Kansai EP carried out other kinds of w...more
