In 2024, Japan restarted two more nuclear reactors, bringing the total to 14 since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Despite slow progress due to strict safety checks and public concerns, support for restarts is growing. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Japan aims to boost nuclear’s share of electricity generation to 20% by 2040, focusing on extending the life of existing reactors and developing new technology. They write:
Japanese utilities restarted two additional nuclear reactors in 2024 that had been suspended from operations in response to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident, taking the total number of restarted reactors to 14 since the accident. In November, Tohoku Electric Power Co. restarted its 796-megawatt (MW) Onagawa Unit 2 reactor, and in December Chugoku Electric Power Co. restarted its Shimane Unit 2 (789 MW). Onagawa is the nuclear power plant located closest to the epicenter of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. […]
As part of Japan’s sixth long-term energy plan, last updated in October 2021, the central government called for the nuclear share of the country’s electricity generation to reach 20%–22% by 2030. Nuclear power accounted for about 6% of Japan’s electricity generation in 2023. A draft of Japan’s seventh long-term energy plan was released on December 17, 2024, and says nuclear power should account for 20% of Japan’s energy supply in 2040.
Japan’s current policy intends to maximize the use of existing reactors by restarting as many units as possible and extending the licensed operating life beyond the current 60-year limit. The country also plans to develop next-generation reactors in cooperation with the domestic manufacturing industry and electric utilities.
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