Kishida sets high nuclear power target that Japan may struggle to meet

To deal with concerns about electricity shortages this winter, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that he will push to have up to nine nuclear reactors in operation by then.

But while 10 reactors are officially listed as having been restarted, only five are actually providing power. One of them, Genkai No. 4 in Saga Prefecture, will soon be offline to finish necessary safety work for the winter.

The other five are sitting idle because they are either finishing safety work needed to be switched back on, or they are offline for regular inspection.

Speaking to reporters Friday morning, economy minister Koichi Hagiuda indicated that he plans to meet the prime minister’s goal of nine reactors by reviewing their current construction plans aimed at meeting new safety standards that are required prior to a restart. He said he will also examine their plans for regular inspection periods, which see the reactor shut down for weeks at a time.

"We'll place the highest priority on safety. If the Nuclear Regulation Authority approves their restart, we'll proceed,” Hagiuda said.

He added the central government would also seek approval from local communities for restarts. While not legally required, it is longstanding practice for the central government to first seek formal permission for a restart from both the town hosting nuclear a power plant as well as the prefectural governor.

During his Thursday evening news conference, Kishida explained that in order to secure about 10% of Japan’s total electricity demand during the winter period, up to nine nuclear reactors and an additional 10 thermal power plants need to be in operation.

“If these measures are realized, we will be able to secure the largest amount of electricity supply capacity we’ve had compared with the past three years,” the prime minister said.

The four other reactors currently providing power are Oi No. 3 in Fukui Prefecture, Ikata No. 3 in Ehime Prefecture, and Sendai Nos. 1 and 2 in Kagoshima Prefecture. Those that are idle, meanwhile, are Mihama No. 3, Oi No. 4, Takahama Nos. 3 and 4 in Fukui Prefecture, which belong to Kansai Electric Power Co., and Genkai No. 3, which is run by Kyushu Electric Power Co.

In April 2021, Fukui Gov. Tatsuji Sugimoto approved the resumption of operations at the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors of the Takahama nuclear plant, as well as the No. 3 reactor at the Mihama facility, once final safety checks are completed.

Kansai Electric’s Oi No. 4 reactor is scheduled to be fully back on line by Aug. 12, while its Mihama No. 3 reactor is set to resume operations in the middle of August. Specific restart dates have not been announced for the other three, and they could face local opposition or possible legal challenges over safety issues in the coming months, making their restart by winter problematic.

While there are recent signs that restarts are growing more acceptable to the public, given concerns about rising energy prices, opposition nonetheless remains. A nationwide poll conducted by NNN and the Yomiuri Shimbun on Monday and Tuesday showed that, as long as reactors meet safety standards set by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, 54% of respondents supported their restart, while 37% were opposed.

Anti-nuclear groups could also slow the restart process by filing requests for temporary injunctions or lawsuits in local district courts over safety concerns. Victory could stop any restart effort while the decision is appealed by the operator in a higher court.

Currently, Hokkaido’s Tomari nuclear plant is shut down after the Sapporo District Court ruled in May that it does not meet required safety standards to protect it against a tsunami. While the judge rejected plaintiff’s efforts to have it decommissioned, meeting tsunami safety standards would be a lengthy and expensive undertaking for operator Hokkaido Electric Power Co., and the plant’s future is uncertain.