Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - A week after the pro-nuclear ruling party easily won elections for the upper house, industry minister Ko...
 |
| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - A week after the pro-nuclear ruling party easily won elections for the upper house, industry minister Koichi Hagiuda said on Friday that Japan hopes to restart four additional nuclear reactors in time to prevent any power shortage over the winter.
By changing the building and inspection timeframes for some nuclear power facilities, we hope to ensure the operation of up to nine reactors, up from the existing five running reactors, Hagiuda said at a news conference.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant tragedy in 2011 caused several of Japan's nuclear reactors to remain shut down, but the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been considering a return to nuclear energy as a reliable source of energy for Japan's resource-scarce country.
Following the Fukushima disaster, the public had generally opposed nuclear restarts, but the tide has since turned due to growing fuel prices and periods of unseasonably warm weather that have prompted calls for energy-saving measures.
The possibility of restarting additional reactors was welcomed news for the energy sector, according to Kazuhiro Ikebe, president of the Federation of Electric Power Companies, who called it "words of encouragement."
However, before a nuclear plant can restart, a lengthy permission procedure that is supervised by authorities is needed.
Japan has been on edge as a result of escalating tensions with Russia.
A crucial source of gas supplies for Japan could be cut off as a result of a directive signed by President Vladimir Putin in late June that seizes control of the gas and oil project Sakhalin-2.
Takehiro Honjo, chairman of the Gas Association, stated on Friday that there aren't any current issues with the gas supply.
However, Ikebe recommended "the government act to preserve our interests in Sakhalin-2" in the face of the uncertainties.
In the event that the LNG supply from Russia is stopped, we must be ready to take all appropriate action, Ikebe added.
Sakhalin-2 offers 9 percent of the LNG consumed in Japan.
