Japan’s industry ministry has drafted a plan to rebuild 2-5 nuclear reactors by the 2040s to maintain stable electricity supply as aging plants are retired, PNA reported.
The proposal marks the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster that the government has set a numerical target for reactor replacement. It comes as older reactors, many operating for 60 years or more, are progressively being decommissioned, raising concerns about future generation capacity. The plan outlines the need to rebuild an additional nine reactors by 2050. This would bring the total number of replacement reactors to between 11 and 14. The draft also emphasises the continued safe decommissioning of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. in Fukushima Prefecture, describing it as the government’s top priority. It further highlights plans to develop next-generation reactors designed to be safer than existing models.