At the beginning of the press conference, Masui presented a JAIF report outlining the various benefits of a single nuclear power plant from the perspective of the 3Es—energy security, economic efficiency and environmental sustainability—with safety as a fundamental prerequisite.
The analysis comes as the Japanese government has indicated that up to five nuclear reactors may need to be replaced by the 2040s and up to 14 by the 2050s. Against this backdrop, JAIF sought to quantify the value provided by a single nuclear power plant from the 3E perspective.
For its economic impact analysis, JAIF used data from the government’s 2025 Working Group on Verification of Power Generation Costs and Japan’s 2020 Input-Output Tables compiled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The estimate covers direct and primary ripple effects.
JAIF estimates that replacing a single nuclear power plant would generate a total economic impact of approximately JPY4.3 trillion across the Japanese economy over the plant’s entire lifecycle. During construction, the project would also induce employment of approximately 14,000 people per year.
From an energy security perspective, JAIF highlighted a domestic procurement rate of more than 90% for nuclear plant equipment and a fuel stockpiling effect equivalent to 2.9 years, referring to the period for which electricity generation could be maintained using nuclear fuel already held in Japan. From an environmental perspective, it noted that nuclear power produces no CO2 emissions during electricity generation.
Masui said the key message JAIF wanted to convey was that the benefits of nuclear power go beyond its economic impact.
“The advantages of nuclear power are not simply its economic ripple effects,” he said. “In addition to providing a stable energy supply and strong environmental performance, nuclear power also generates significant economic benefits.”
Masui also commented on Hitachiomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture, which recently announced that it would accept a literature survey as part of the site selection process for a geological repository for high-level radioactive waste (HLW). He said surveys at multiple locations across Japan are essential to selecting a scientifically suitable disposal site and that expanding the number of areas participating in the process is highly significant.
During the question-and-answer session, reporters raised several questions about JAIF’s economic impact estimates.
Asked about JAIF’s estimate that nuclear power could reduce fossil fuel costs by JPY51–72.5 billion annually, given that current LNG prices have risen above the levels used in the calculation amid developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, Masui said the savings would be even greater if current prices were used.
He explained, however, that JAIF deliberately based its calculations on publicly available data in order to present the value of nuclear power from the perspective of reducing fossil fuel costs in a neutral manner, without overstating the benefits.
Asked about estimating the economic impact of newly built reactors, Masui said JAIF could potentially conduct a new assessment if the government’s Working Group on Verification of Power Generation Costs evaluates advanced light-water reactors in the future. He noted, however, that such reactors have yet to be built in Japan, making it difficult to verify an estimate at present.
