Japan's Prime Minister Calls For Widespread Use Of Nuclear
Written by NucNet
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Japan's prime minister Taro Aso says he wants to make widespread use of nuclear energy in an effort to reduce Japan's greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.
The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) said Mr Aso made the comments in a speech on 10 June 2009. The prime minister said to reach the "medium-term target" he intended to "make the utmost effort to develop and promote the widespread use of innovative technologies and nuclear energy".
JAIF president Takuya Hattori said that for Japan to realise the prime minister's target – and to ultimately achieve a low-carbon society – it is essential that nuclear generation serves as a base-load power source and that "a very significant volume" of renewable sources of energy be introduced.
Mr Hattori said it will be necessary to make steady use of existing reactors, as well as constructing the new nuclear plants that are planned.
The share of nuclear in electricity generation in Japan by 2100 is expected to be 67 percent and come from both fission and fusion reactor units.
In a study in 2008 the Japan Atomic Energy Agency said the aim by 2100 is to reduce CO2 emissions by about 90 percent from current levels.
According to International Atomic Energy Agency figures, Japan has 53 reactor units in commercial operation and two, Tomari-3 and Shimani-3, under construction.
