Japan to shut down last reactor

May 4, 2012 - PRLog -- 'Can it be the end of nuclear power?' Japan to shut down last reactor

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By Reuters

TOKYO -- Japan shuts down its last working nuclear power reactor this weekend just over a year after a tsunami scarred the nation and if it survives the summer without major electricity shortages, producers fear the plants will stay offline for good.

The shutdown leaves Japan without nuclear power for the first time since 1970 and has put electricity producers on the defensive. Public opposition to nuclear power could become more deeply entrenched if non-nuclear generation proves enough to meet Japan's needs in the peak-demand summer months.

"Can it be the end of nuclear power? It could be," said Andrew DeWit, a professor at Rikkyo University in Tokyo who studies energy policy. "That's one reason why people are fighting it to the death."

Japan has 54 nuclear power reactors, including the four at Tokyo Electric's Daiichi plant in Fukushima that were damaged in the earthquake and tsunami, culminating in three meltdowns and radiation leaks for the worst civilian nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

One by one the country's nuclear plants have been shut for scheduled maintenance and prevented from restarting because of public concern about their safety.

Global shift on nuke power
Ultimately, some argue Japan's economy, already weakened by years of deflation, would suffer if reactors are not restarted.

"It's not an option Japan should take. There will be less employment and the economy will be on a shrinking trend," said Takeo Kikkawa, a professor at Hitotsubashi University.

Japan's liquefied natural gas imports climbed 18 percent in volume and 52 percent in value to 5.4 trillion yen ($67 billion) in the year through March.

Renewable energy, although given emphasis in energy policies being formulated, is not expected to be much of an immediate salve. Energy from renewable sources account for about 10 percent of Japan's power generation, most of that from hydroelectric dams. Wind and solar together contribute about 1 percent.

Worldwide, there has been a shift with Germany, Italy and Switzerland moving away from atomic energy, prompting the International Atomic Energy Agency to revise down its forecast for growth in the industry.

Wert-Berater, Inc. is a leading provider of feasibility studies for renewable energy projects including, wind, solar, bio-fuel, hydrology, geothermal and other alternative energy sources.

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