Yahoo Finance Japan hints at possible reversal of post-Fukushima nuclear policy as energy crisis spurs scramble for alternative supplies
Japan will restart more of its nuclear plants and look into developing next-generation reactors.
After the Fukushima disaster, Japan said it would not build any new nuclear reactors.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also said officials would look into lengthening the lifespan of its existing nuclear reactors.
Japan will restart more of its nuclear plants and look into developing next-generation reactors, suggesting a possible shift in its energy policy.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also said Wednesday that officials would look into lengthening the lifespan of its existing nuclear reactors.
But the acknowledgement that new reactors are possible would mark a reversal from its previous stance. After the massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that caused the Fukushima Daiichi power plant disaster, Japan said it would not build any new nuclear reactors.
Most of Japan's nuclear plants have dormant over the past decade, although the nation has already restarted seven of its operators, and is currently performing maintenance on three more, Reuters reported.
Germany has also faced pressure to turn to nuclear sources and will delay closing some of its nuclear plants, despite being affected by the Chernobyl disaster in the 1980s.
That's a testament to how much Russia's war on Ukraine and the global energy crisis have set off a scramble for alternative supplies. For example, competition for liquid natural gas shipments is heating up as Europe and Asia scramble for supplies in preparation for winter.
Meanwhile, Western officials have accused Russia of weaponizing energy by withholding deliveries to countries that backed sanctions against Moscow. Russia's Gazprom has slashed European gas flows on its Nord Stream 1 pipeline to just 20% of capacity.
And on Wednesday, Russia halted a shipment of Sakhalin LNG to an Asian customer due to payment issues, according to a report from Bloomberg. Although the identity of the LNG customer wasn't disclosed, Japan is Sakhalin's top buyer of natural gas and could face blackouts this winter if shipments from Sakhalin are stalled.
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