Russia's Nuclear Power U-Turn... Japan and Germany's Nuclear Phase-Out

Kyodo News "Ukraine War Neutralizes Opposition to Japan's Nuclear Power Policy Revision"

[Asia Economy Reporter Haeyoung Kwon] Due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, countries such as Japan and Germany are reversing their nuclear phase-out policies and accelerating a nuclear power turnaround.

Kyodo News reported on the 25th (local time) that as raw material and energy prices soar due to the Ukraine war and concerns over stable power supply increase, the Japanese government is changing the direction of its nuclear power policy. The cabinet of Fumio Kishida finalized an energy policy on the 22nd that includes building new nuclear power plants and extending the maximum operational lifespan of nuclear reactors, currently capped at 60 years.

This is contrary to the nuclear phase-out stance promised after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. Especially as power supply shortages coincided with this summer’s heatwave, creating a large-scale blackout crisis, the Japanese cabinet shifted its direction to maximize the use of nuclear power. Kyodo News stated, "Japan is not the only country switching its nuclear policy amid the global energy crisis triggered by the Ukraine war," adding, "Even Germany, a leader in renewable energy adoption, has temporarily suspended its phased nuclear phase-out policy to strengthen energy security." Previously, the German government had planned to completely shut down the remaining three nuclear plants by the end of this year, but as the energy crisis worsened, it decided to extend their operation until mid-April next year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Since nuclear power is the cheapest and most stable energy source, major countries like Germany and Japan are pursuing policies to expand nuclear power. With energy prices for oil, gas, and others soaring and supply-demand imbalances worsening due to the Ukraine war, there is increasing emphasis on raising the share of nuclear power from an 'energy security' perspective. India is also reportedly considering additional construction of large nuclear power plants and the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to reduce coal dependence and achieve carbon neutrality by 2070.

Takeo Kikagawa, a professor at Japan International University and an energy expert, said, "The lesson learned from the Ukraine crisis is that we must accelerate decarbonization," adding, "It will be difficult for resource-poor Japan to immediately halt nuclear power operations." However, he added, "A gradual reduction in dependence on nuclear power should be pursued by replacing aging reactors with new ones that have lower risks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.