As Nuclear Falls from Favor, Japan Looks to Renewable Power

In the midst of Japan’s ongoing nuclear crisis, only six of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors, representing 12 percent of the country's nuclear capacity, will be running by the end of the year, according to a report from Industrial Info Resources. And by next March, it is reported the country’s entire nuclear fleet will be offline.

However, Industrial Info says The Japan Energy and Environmental Council has estimated that renewable energy areas such as solar power, onshore windfarms and geothermal power stations, given use of optimal locations, could produce nearly 40 percent of the country's total power generation.

Japan’s first feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme, which takes effect next summer, will allow a greater influx of renewable energy projects, according to Industrial Info. But the FIT law is “unclear in regards to rate of pay per watt and other important points pertinent to project development,” and existing laws could also pose a problem for companies that want to develop windfarms or solar power stations, Industrial Info says.

Industrial Info also reports several of Japan's regional power generation companies are planning to restart shuttered thermal power stations to help compensate for the loss of the country's nuclear capacity. It is reported that Japan's thermal energy generation has increased drastically since the earthquake disaster in March, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports expected to reach 80 million tons by year’s end.

To read the full Industrial Info report, click here.

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