Antinuclear

Rebirth of Japan’s nuclear industry is unlikely, despite pro nuclear government

the landscape of the nuclear village has changed. Previously, decision makers agreed on policies behind the scenes. This is no longer the case.

The new NRA chairman, Shunichi Tanaka, even contradicted Motegi on the same day. He said it would not be possible to get the security standards of all reactors up to standard within three years. Tanaka did not even think it was necessary to share these ideas with the prime minister himself but rather did so in an interview with the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun. 

Profitability is a tall order. During the election campaign, Abe expressed the opinion that Japan could not afford the nuclear shutdown for purely economic purposes. However, staying with nuclear power could also cost the country dearly.

No return to Japan’s ‘nuclear village’, Deutsche Welle. 1 Jan 2013,
Japan’s new government has no plans for a switch-off of nuclear power.
However, stringent security regulations and public opinion mean any
radical rebirth of the country’s atomic industry seems unlikely.
The gap between supporters and opponents of nuclear power has widened
since recent parliamentary elections in December.
“No restart for reactors” and “Against nuclear power” was the battle
cry of some 1,000 people outside the office of Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe in Tokyo. According to organizers of the “Metropolitan Coalition
Against Nukes,” it was the 37th Friday demonstration since spring.
However, the prospect of success for the protesters is growing
ever-more distant.
New Prime Minister Abe is a clear proponent of the nuclear energy.
After taking office, he even announced the construction of new
reactors. His Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is Japan’s main party in
support of nuclear power.
For decades, the LDP has believed in a solid triangle of bureaucracy,
industry and academia, which has never questioned the safety of
nuclear power and nuclear reactors.
This so-called “nuclear village” also prevented the necessary
precautions being implemented that would have safeguarded the nuclear
facility in Fukushima against a tsunami…..
Within three years – should the country’s Nuclear Regulation Authority
(NRA) give necessary safety approval – 48 nuclear reactors that were
shut down are due to come back on line.
However, the landscape of the nuclear village has changed. Previously,
decision makers agreed on policies behind the scenes. This is no
longer the case. The new NRA chairman, Shunichi Tanaka, even
contradicted Motegi on the same day. He said it would not be possible
to get the security standards of all reactors up to standard within
three years. Tanaka did not even think it was necessary to share these
ideas with the prime minister himself but rather did so in an
interview with the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.
Ultimately, the nuclear policy of the new government will differ
little from that of the previous government. The last cabinet and
Prime Minster Yoshihiko Noda had proposed as a goal that nuclear power
should be phased out within 30 years, although no concrete measures
had been implemented. Despite this, the Noda government approved the
further construction of two reactors, which had been put on hold
immediately after the meltdown in Fukushima. His government also
approved the recommissioning of a reprocessing plant for spent fuel
rods.
Profitability is a tall order….
More competition and higher costs due to more stringent safety
requirements could render the construction of new plants
non-profitable.
During the election campaign, Abe expressed the opinion that Japan
could not afford the nuclear shutdown for purely economic purposes.
However, staying with nuclear power could also cost the country
dearly. “I want a responsible energy policy,” he said, even after his
visit to Fukushima.
He said the government’s policy was to expand into alternative energy
as mush as possible in the next three years.
Abe also promised that the government would decide upon the right
energy mix in 10 years’ time. For now, the comeback of the nuclear
village as it existed before seems unlikely.
http://www.dw.de/no-return-to-japans-nuclear-village/a-16490644

January 2, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized