Japan is set to push for more nuclear power in an energy policy update due next year, seeking a stable electricity supply in the face of growing demand and heightening geopolitical risks, but is likely to struggle to meet its targets, industry experts say.
The country slashed reliance on nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in 2011 and increased use of fossil fuels to generate 70% of its electricity, even as it set out to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
But having faced coal and gas price spikes and supply disruptions in 2022 due to Russia's war on Ukraine, the government wants to lock in a greater use of nuclear energy, along with wind and solar power, to secure a stable energy supply.