Turning away from what is happening in Thailand, I am glad to hear that Japan has made some progress on energy security by making a U-turn on its nuclear energy freeze.
The March 2011 tsunami and subsequent meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi reactor, the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, forced more than 160,000 people to flee the area. The Japanese government embarked on a $30-billion cleanup and shut down all of its nuclear plants. Some are being inspected for the possibility of being reopened and others will be closed permanently.
The government of Shinzo Abe has taken many bold steps in its first 14 months in power but looking to restart some of the country’s nuclear reactors may be one of its boldest yet.
A recent survey showed that just over 50% of the population was not keen on reviving nuclear power plants because they fear a repeat of something like the 2011 accident, especially given how earthquake-prone Japan is.
As of today none of Japan’s 48 reactors are in operation, but 17 are undergoing screening for possible restarts by the Nuclear Regulation Authority under stricter regulations introduced after Fukushima.
The Abe government’s proposal is meant to provide a plan for Japan’s energy future in the next 20 years. Energy demand, after all, will continue to rise in the years ahead as Abe’s policies have helped revive the economy after two decades of stagnation.
Nuclear energy met about 30% of Japan’s energy needs before 2011 and the government had hoped to raise the figure to 50% but all this went out of the window after the Fukushima disaster.
I will not argue whether it is good or bad to have nuclear energy but what is paramount for all of us is energy security. The newer generation is power-hungry and that electricity has to come from some kind of fuel, be it fossil fuel or renewable sources.
Renewable energy has yet to make a big mark on the globe and in Japan it accounts for a mere 2-3% of the energy supply, while hydropower accounts for 7.5%. The remaining 90% or so will have to come from other sources and fossil fuels are certain to take a big share.
The usage of coal, gas and other fuels has been ramped up in Japan since 2011 and this has made a mark on higher global commodity prices for these fuels. These thermal power plants provide a good backup but that means that Japan is very reliant on other countries for its fuel sources and in the long term that is not good for the country.
Other countries are relying on a lot on natural gas and shale gas to help provide energy security but these are not an option for Japan. Its land mass is limited and some of the potential areas where natural gas and oil can be found, around offshore islands in particular, are still in dispute with other nations.
Thus the choices for Japan are very limited. Nuclear power plants have operated in the country since the late 1960s and almost all were safe and stable until the disaster in 2011 struck.
Nuclear energy is one of the safest and most reliable sources of energy although safe and proper storage of spent fuel rods remains a major challenge. The nuclear option that has been closed for more than two years should be revived because Japan’s needs are not going to slow down. Ruling out a fuel source because of a risk of disaster, however minuscule, is something that is not logical.
Where risks are concerned, to safety and the environment, other energy sources are not any better, when one comes to think about it. Hydropower plants run the risk of dams breaking; rumours are always flying around somewhere or other, and in Thailand itself there has been unsubstantiated talk of cracks in some dams, which if true could spell catastrophe on a huge scale.
Coal-fired power plants are no panacea either, for the pollution they generate is having a long-term impact on the generations to come. Natural gas, meanwhile, is something that is depleting and countries cannot plan their energy security based on the condition that they wait for other sources of energy to run out before taking on the last available option.
Nuclear energy is a good option and the Fukushima disaster is expected to lead to better safety measures. These need to be studied and implemented in the design of future nuclear plants, similar to what we see in the airline industry, where every disaster brings about new ways to help make air travel safer.