Japan’s tough nuclear question after Fukushima
A year after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan’s atomic future remains in the balance
High electricity bills for a manufacturing-export economy mean Japan must consider restarting nuclear reactors, or permanently damage its prized industrial base. At the end of January, only three of the country’s 54 reactors were operating. Seventeen units were shut down as a direct result of the deadly earthquake and tsunami on 11 March last year and related government requests, while the remaining 34 have shut following routine maintenance, but have not been granted permission to restart operations. The remaining three are to shut by April, removing around 20% of Japan’s electricity-generating capacity if none is restarted. The global gas industry is convinced that Japan must restart its n
Also in this section
12 March 2026
Role of world’s largest carbon cap-and-trade market under scrutiny as war in Iran threatens to drive EU energy costs to unsustainable levels
10 March 2026
Europe urgently needs to bring more projects to FID, as CCS investors warn they might divert capital to faster-growing regions
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
