Japan will use nuclear power to reduce its dependence on imports of energy products from Russia, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on May 6.
Since the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, Japan has shut down most of its nuclear reactors and become more dependent on Russian natural gas.
However, in the face of the July elections and rising energy prices, Fumio Kishida said nuclear energy will be part of the country's future energy policy.
He said Japan will diversify its power generation sources by expanding energy procurement channels, promoting renewable energy and using nuclear energy to address "the shortcomings of energy self-sufficiency".
"We will utilize nuclear reactors with safety assurances to contribute to worldwide reduction of dependence on Russian energy," Reuters quoted Fumio Kishida as saying. "Restarting just one existing nuclear reactor would have the same effect as supplying 1 million tonnes of new LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) per year to the global market."
Despite the fact that more than a decade has passed since the Fukushima nuclear accident, nuclear power is still a major problem in Japan, where only a handful of the country's more than 30 nuclear power plants are currently in operation.
Most people and businesses want the government to restart nuclear reactors to solve energy security problems, especially in recent months when the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has pushed up energy costs.
Fumio Kishida also said he would raise 150 trillion yen ($1.16 trillion) in investments over the next decade to help cut greenhouse gas emissions by 46% by 2030 and achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
(Writing by Alex Guo Editing by Tammy Yang)
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