Next July 5, the OIR – International Observatory on the Industry and Finance of Renewables – will present the results of the research in Rome at the now classic annual conference. On this occasion, the priorities in terms of energy policy for the revitalization of renewables and energy efficiency will be discussed, in the light of the new global challenges; between all the riots in North Africa and the Fukushima incident.
In this regard, the case of Japan is particularly relevant.
The Fukushima nuclear accident forced the Japanese government to reconsider its nuclear-focused energy policy, prompting it to push investments in renewables and energy efficiency. Nuclear power alone produces about 30% of Japan's electricity. There are 50 reactors in operation and they have a total installed capacity of about 47 GWe. The growing demand for energy, which started in the 50s due to industrial development and the lack of resources, were the main reasons why nuclear power was implemented in Japan. It also represents big business for Japanese industries, especially for ballast suppliers such as Toshiba, Mitsubishi and Hitachi.
Japan's nuclear power, which before the Fukushima accident was expected to generate 50% of electricity by 2030, has stopped and development policies from now on will only aim to improve its safety. "Medium and long-term plans need to be reconsidered," said Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, adding that "Japan's goal is to produce 20% of its electricity from renewable sources", double the current figure.
To promote renewables, the country will have to focus on wind, solar and above all geothermal where the potential is very high. Japan, in fact, is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire: using conventional technologies, the energy of this fault line would theoretically be sufficient to feed geothermal plants for 80.000 MW. Existing regulations, in particular those concerning access to natural parks and the project approval process, have for a long time held back the development of this technology: in fact, 23,5 GW of geothermal energy is present in the parks. However, the Government has announced a substantial change to these regulations.
The wind sector is underdeveloped, but its potential is very high. Japan has installed wind turbines of just 2,3 GW. The vastness of the available territory, particularly in the offshore areas, would guarantee an installable potential of around 133 GW (Japanese Wind Power Association). Despite this, the wind sector receives about $10 million a year from the Japanese government, compared with $2,3 billion for nuclear. This disparity, certainly excessive, needs careful rebalancing. In this regard, an efficient incentive tariff for the wind sector is essential to promote investment.
Following the accident, there was renewed interest in the country also in photovoltaics. The Government has recently launched the project called "Eastern Japan Solar Belt" which aims to "solarize" all buildings. The plan calls for every home and/or private building to be equipped with the latest generation of solar panels by and no later than 2030.
The Fukushima disaster represents, albeit in its dramatic nature, an opportunity to look at the development of renewables with more determination, launching more incisive projects. By committing to promote RES, Japan will be able to drastically reduce the use of nuclear power but also the use of fossil fuel-fired power plants. The lack of support for the sector is mainly due to the lack of a precise political will, which after the accident has been converted into a more concrete commitment to the promotion of renewable energy.
http://www.nukleer.web.tr/indexe.htm
http://www.earth-policy.org/plan_b_updates/2011/update94
