Japan’s Nuclear Energy: Strategic Energy Plan & Policy

RISDIYANTI

Nuclear as an Energy

Nuclear provides an emission-free heat source that may be converted into multiple products, electricity (worldwide), steam for industry (done in Switzerland, Russia, Japan, not within the United States), and hydrogen (future with development of technology). Renewed interest in nuclear stems from concerns over global climate change and fuel imports. Nuclear is in a position to displace coal in electricity sector and also plenty of oil in transportation sector.

Japan’s Nuclear Energy Policy

According to the assumption that the chance in ensuring nuclear safety will never be zero, additionally to the protection measures within the regulatory requirements, it’s important that the industry itself pursues safety measures voluntarily. For improving nuclear safety, functions to effectively support the voluntary efforts of the utilities are necessary. JANSI generally accepted in 2012 as a self-regulatory organization which is independent from the utilities and drives nuclear safety strongly. On October 1, 2014, Nuclear Risk Research Centre (NRRC) was established with the aim of developing methods for evaluating risks of external events like earthquake or tsunami.

New Organization (ATENA: Atomic Energy Association) be founded in July 2018. ATENA will help nuclear operators with their efforts to enhance nuclear safety by specifying challenges in nuclear energy safety that the nuclear industry has to address, coordinating that nuclear industry’s activities to debate solutions to challenges, having representative nuclear industry specialists join discussions on solutions to challenges, and developing into a technical report about solutions for challenges and publish it. Nuclear operators, manufactures, and other nuclear organizations join the discussion.

Nuclear fuel cycle and plutonium management policy, excerpt from strategic energy plan. The essential policy that Japan takes to market a nuclear fuel cycle which reprocesses spent fuels and effectively utilizes the plutonium etc. retrieved, from the view point of effective utilization of resources and reduction of the degree and harmfulness of high-level radioactive material waste.

The government in Japan remains committed to the policy of not possessing plutonium without purposes on the premise of peaceful use of plutonium and work to scale back of the dimensions of plutonium stockpile, thereby contributing to nuclear non-proliferation and steadily proceeding with such efforts while gaining international understanding. So as to attain this policy effectively, the govt will appropriately manage and utilize plutonium through further promotion of plutonium use in LWRs and also the Government’s involvement supported the framework of the Spent Fuel Reprocessing Implementation Act introduced in 2016 while paying due consideration to an appropriate balance between the separation and utilization of plutonium.

As we know that nuclear as energy is able to bring countries to make an energy transition. However, countries especially Japan are trying to minimize the impact of nuclear energy so that nuclear energy has a low negative effect. International relations should view nuclear as a renewable energy rather than being a deadly weapon.

Reference:

Japan’s Nuclear Energy Policy. September, 2019. from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. https://www.meti.go.jp