Japan Shifts Back to Nuclear Power to Cut Coal and Boost AI

AFP/APP

Japan: Japan is moving towards a nuclear revival as it seeks to reduce emissions and modernize its energy infrastructure, partly to support artificial intelligence (AI).

At the world’s largest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, preparations are underway for a restart, with new safety measures in place, including a 15-meter tsunami wall.

After the 2011 Fukushima disaster led Japan to halt its nuclear operations, the country, known for having the G7’s most carbon-intensive energy mix, is now looking to phase out coal. Atomic energy is gradually returning as a key solution to meet Japan’s emission reduction goals.

Masaki Daito, deputy superintendent of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa (KK) plant, told AFP during an exclusive tour that the facility has implemented rigorous safety standards to avoid another disaster.

“We believe that a similar accident to Fukushima could be largely avoided,” he said, adding that Japan now has “the strictest regulatory standards in the world.”

The KK plant, located in central Japan, has faced its own challenges, including a two-year shutdown after a major earthquake in 2007. The plant has since undergone significant upgrades, aimed at preventing the kind of power failures and flooding that led to the Fukushima meltdown.

As Japan embraces a nuclear comeback, it hopes to balance energy security with environmental sustainability, while addressing public concerns and the anxieties of neighboring countries.