Country profile: Japan

Summary figures for 2011

The following information is from the NEA publication Nuclear Energy Data, the annual compilation of official statistics and country reports on nuclear energy in OECD member countries.

Country
Number of nuclear power plants connected to the grid
Nuclear electricity generation
(net TWh) 2011
Nuclear percentage of total electricity supply
Japan
54
279.3
 **
29.2
  
OECD Pacific
71
305.4
19.0
  
Total
329
2049.5
20.7
  

Country report

Action Plan for Achieving a Low-carbon Society

The Government of Japan adopted the “Action Plan for Achieving a Low-carbon Society” at a Cabinet Meeting in July 2008.

As part of the measures for electricity supply, the proportion of electricity generated from “zero-emission sources” including nuclear power generation will be increased to over 50% by around 2020.

With regard to nuclear power, the Government will aim to improve the utilisation capacity to the level of major nuclear using countries and will promote steady construction of new facilities, while ensuring complete safety as a fundamental premise.

Also, the Government will promote development of next generation light-water reactor technology in the light of expected demand for replacement of existing light-water reactors in around 2030, and also from the perspective of the global market. Regarding fast breeder reactor cycle technology, research and development will be promoted with the aim of constructing a demonstration reactor and related fuel cycle facilities by 2025 and introducing the technology on a commercial basis from around 2050.

There will also be steady efforts toward establishing a closed nuclear fuel cycle, which will include implementation of MOX fuel utilisation in light-water reactors and the start of full-scale operations at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant.

To contribute to the international trend toward introducing nuclear energy, Japan will continue to more actively promote assistance for and co-operation with countries planning to introduce or expand nuclear power, with regard to infrastructure development.

Japan’s nuclear power plants

As for new plant construction, Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J‑POWER) started construction of the Ohma Nuclear Power Plant (ABWR with 1 383 MW power generating capacity) on 27 May 2008.

As for TOMARI-3 (PWR, 912 MW), Hokkaido Electric Power Co. began loading fuel on 25 January 2009 after which it launched the first steps of test operation and plans to start commercial operation in December 2009.

Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. decided on a Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station Replacement Plan, under which it will build a new reactor, No. 6, as a replacement for two ageing reactors. Along with this plan, they terminated operations of Hamaoka No. 1 (BWR, 540 MW) and No. 2 (BWR, 840 MW) on 30 January 2009.

Through these events, there were 53 reactors in commercial operation with total gross power generation capacity 48.1 GW in Japan as of the end of January 2009.

Bilateral co-operation

France

With France, Mr. François Fillon, Prime Minister of the French Republic, visited Japan and held a ministerial meeting with Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, the then Prime Minister of Japan, in April 2008. Afterwards, both leaders signed the “Declaration of co-operation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy”.

This declaration focused on nuclear power and became the first official comprehensive document between the prime ministers. Guided by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Prime Minister Fillon also visited the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd., one of the world’s most advanced facilities where French technology was also introduced, and confirmed the importance both Japanese and French co-operation to promote the nuclear fuel cycle.

Asian countries (Vietnam, Indonesia)

For other countries newly introducing nuclear power including Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, etc., Japan has provided support/co-operation for infrastructure development.

To make support more certain, with Vietnam, the “Memorandum of Co-operation between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (MOIT) on Co-operation in the Development of Nuclear Power in Vietnam” was signed by vice ministers of both sides in May 2008.

With Indonesia, the “Memorandum of Co-operation between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI) and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia on Co-operation in the Promotion of Nuclear Power Plant Development”, which was signed in November 2007, was extended by one year in December 2008.

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Responding to UAE’s drawing up of a plan to introduce nuclear power plants to avoid a shortage of electricity supply in the future, and which is aiming to have its first nuclear reactor on line in 2017, Japan and the UAE signed the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Co-operation on the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy in the UAE by a METI vice minister and an undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of UAE in January 2009 in order to introduce nuclear power generation smoothly while securing non-proliferation and safety in the UAE.

Source: Nuclear Energy Data 2009

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Last reviewed: 3 April 2013