As memories of Fukushima fade, Japan seeks bigger role for nuclear power

On a sandy coastline 180 miles from Tokyo, a giant nuclear reactor will soon come back to life after more than a decade offline.

- Jason Douglas & JunkoFukutome

Japan wants to more than double the share of nuclear energy in its power mix, but a full-on renaissance seems distant.

(REUTERS)

The reboot of reactor No. 6 at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa on the Sea of Japan coast will mark a milestone for a nation that in 2011 suffered one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters, when an earthquake and tsunami triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima-Daiichi atomic power station.

The reactor is of a similar design to those that failed at Fukushima and its size will make it the largest reactor brought back into operation since all 54 were shut down in the wake of the disaster.

The restart follows years of safety inspections, new construction to shield the reactor from natural disasters and a yearslong effort to reassure people living nearby that they won't be put at risk when the reactor starts up again. A 15-meter concrete wall has been erected to stop the reactor from being flooded by a tsunami.

The Japanese government says it wants to more than double the share of Japan’s electricity generated from nuclear power to 20% by 2040, from around 9% currently. Like other countries, Japan is eager to wean itself off fossil fuels while also meeting the energy needs of power-hungry data centers and semiconductor foundries that fuel the artificial-intelligence revolution, without pushing up everyone else’s bills.

Still, a full-on nuclear renaissance seems distant. More than a decade after Fukushima, only 14 reactors are up and running and 19 are still mothballed. More than 20 were shut down for good. Public anxiety about atomic power remains substantial in a country prone to earthquakes.