METI proposes replacing up to 5 reactors in the 2040s and 11–14 in the 2050s, but rising global costs cast doubt on the plan.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa on June 9 stressed the importance of METI’s proposed targets for replacing decommissioned nuclear reactors, saying they would “increase long-term predictability for nuclear power and help maintain and strengthen supply chains and the workforce.”
At a June 5 meeting of the Nuclear Energy Subcommittee, the ministry proposed replacing two to five reactors in the 2040s and 11 to 14 in the 2050s.
The proposal marks the first concrete numerical target for reactor replacement since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
However, with nuclear construction costs rising worldwide, it remains unclear whether replacement projects will proceed as envisioned.
Source: The Sankei Shimbun