Rodrigo Reyes-Marin | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan’s prime minister said Wednesday that his country will restart more idle nuclear power plants and examine the feasibility of developing next-generation reactors. Fumio Kishida’s comments, according to Reuters, build on statements he made in May and come as Japan – a major energy importer – tries to bolster its options amid continued uncertainty in global energy markets and the war between Russia and Ukraine. If fully implemented, the move would represent a turnaround for the country’s energy policy after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, when a powerful earthquake and tsunami led to a meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Most of Japan’s nuclear power plants have remained idle since then, but attitudes appear to be changing. Earlier this month, a former executive director of the International Energy Agency said public support in Japan for a nuclear restart now exceeds 60 percent. Japan aims for carbon neutrality by 2050. Under an “ambitious outlook,” the country’s 6th Strategic Energy Plan projects renewables to account for 36% to 38% of the electricity generation mix in 2030, with nuclear to account for 20% to 22%. “The sustainable use of nuclear power will be promoted on the basic premise that public confidence in nuclear power must be gained and that safety must be ensured,” according to an outline of the plan. — CNBC’s Lee Ying Shan contributed to this report
