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Asahi Shimbun
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Monetary aid in reach for more communities near nuke plants
Residents who live near a nuclear power plant are checked for radioactive contamination during a drill in Ishikawa Prefecture in 2023. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) The government and ruling parties plan to increase access to financial assistance for local governments hosting nuclear power plants by broadening the geographical scope of eligibility. Secretaries-general and other officials of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito agreed on June 17 to provide aid to local governments within 30 kilometers of a nuclear plant, instead of the current 10 km or less. Cabinet Office officials also said they are considering revising the special measures law for development of areas around nuclear power generation facilities and other regulations. The change is designed to ensure that local governments can receive increased assistance if they are required to develop evacuation plans for nuclear accidents. 'We need to eliminate the discrepancy and provide support measures for completing evacuation plans,' Makoto Nishida, secretary-general of Komeito, told a news conference after meeting with his LDP counterpart and others on June 17. A case in point may involve Japan Atomic Power Co.'s Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, where around 920,000 individuals reside within 30 km from the premises, the highest concentration in the nation. While the central government has required 14 municipalities within the zone to draw up evacuation plans, six are still wrestling with how to safely move so many people. Under the special measures law, which was established in 2000, the central government offers financial assistance that is more generous than standard provisions when local governments hosting nuclear plants build roads and ports or reduce taxes to attract businesses. Local governments within 10 km of a nuclear plant are eligible in accordance with priority zones where it is required to establish countermeasures for potential nuclear accidents. However, following the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011, these priority zones were expanded from a range of 10 km or less from a nuclear plant to within 30 km. As a result, some host governments have called for expanding the areas where greater assistance is provided, saying that the burden of taking countermeasures for nuclear accidents has only grown. The government has shifted its policy to making maximum use of nuclear power. Officials apparently hope that the change will make it easier to win local consent on restarting nuclear plants and other nuclear-related policies. (This article was written by Satoshi Shinden and Anri Takahashi.)
Asahi Shimbun
03-06-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Ibaraki seeks to host demo reactor for next-gen nuclear power
A test reactor for next-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology is currently operating in Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture, as a precursor to a planned demonstration reactor. (Keitaro Fukuchi) Ibaraki Prefecture is seeking to host the country's first demonstration reactor for next-generation nuclear technology known as the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). Local officials announced on June 2 that they have formally submitted a request to the government to have the first municipality in the nation to host the advanced nuclear facility. HTGRs are considered to offer higher efficiency and improved safety technology compared to conventional light-water reactors. They can also be used to produce hydrogen, a key fuel in the transition to a low-carbon economy. The government has prioritized the development of HTGR technology, aiming to begin operations of the demonstration reactor in the latter half of the 2030s. The reactor would serve as an intermediary step before full commercial deployment. It will be built at a scale closer to that of grid-connected reactors to assess its economic viability. Unlike conventional reactors that use water for cooling, HTGRs utilize helium gas, enabling them to reach much higher temperatures. These temperatures could be harnessed not only for power generation but also for the production of hydrogen, which is in high demand in the prefecture's coastal industrial areas. The prefecture currently hosts a test reactor for HTGR technology in the coastal town of Oarai. Officials emphasize the advantage of the proximity, arguing that expanding upon this foundation would maximize the efficiency of research and development efforts. The government has been pushing the HTGR project since fiscal 2023, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries selected as the primary contractor responsible for the reactor's design and eventual construction. Further details, including the criteria for site selection, have yet to be determined. (This article was written by Satoshi Shinden and Morio Choh.)
