Japan faces further delay in nuclear fuel recycling
Japan Nuclear Fuel (JNFL) has again extended the start-up of the country's first commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, as it needs extra time to enhance safety features.
JNFL, a joint venture of Japanese power utilities, now aims to finish construction of the recycling plant at Rokkasho in north Japan's Aomori prefecture in the April 2026-March 2027 fiscal year, instead of the previous target of "as early as possible" in April-September 2024. The company has also pushed back the completion of building the mixed oxide fuel fabrication plant to 2027-28 from April-September 2024.
This is the 27th postponement, far behind its original target of 1997. The repeated delays stemmed from technical issues and safety measures required following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Recycling spent nuclear fuel is becoming a critical issue for Japan, as the natural resource-poor country sees the quasi-domestic fuel as an important power source to ensure its energy security and spur its decarbonisation. But the country faces growing constraints on its ability to store radioactive waste, with repeated delays in setting up the reprocessing plant, which may threaten Tokyo's efforts to restart more reactors.
Spent fuel has accumulated to 2,968t uranium fuel (tU) at the Rokkasho reprocessing plant, nearing its capacity of 3,000tU. The waste has piled up since 2000 in anticipation of its operation and since shipments to the UK and France by utilities ended in 2001.
Japan's overall nuclear waste storage, which has combined capacity of about 24,440tU including Rokkasho's facility, was 81pc full at the end of March 2024, up from 75pc in 2019, according to the trade and industry ministry.
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Japan seeks $11bn green budget funding
Japan seeks $11bn green budget funding
Osaka, 28 August (Argus) — The Japanese government is expected to request around a ¥1.6 trillion ($11bn) budget for 2025-26 and the following fiscal years to help drive the country's green transformation (GX) strategy to achieve its net zero emissions goal by 2050. The GX implementation council led by premier Fumio Kishida on 27 August unveiled its draft budgetary request plan for sectors involved in the GX, which aims at securing at least ¥1.6 trillion, excluding projects whose costs are unspecified. Tokyo is considering seeking ¥1.2 trillion for 2025-26, while asking for the remaining budget to be allocated for 3-5 years. The initial GX-related budget for 2024-25 was around ¥1.7 trillion, including a supplementary budget for the previous fiscal year. The government plans to allocate ¥255.5bn, or 22pc, of its total budget request for 2025-26, to help set up domestic supply chains to drive its decarbonisation efforts. This includes further development of perovskite solar cells, offshore wind power, storage batteries, water electrolysers and fuel cells. Japan is anticipated to require more than ¥150 trillion of public-private investment to promote energy transition over 10 years from 2023-24. Tokyo plans to issue around ¥20 trillion of GX economic transition bonds over the decade to support the investment. Tokyo is now working on formulating the GX vision toward 2040, aiming to complete it by the end of this year. The council on 27 August proposed specific areas to accelerate discussions, including efforts to restart existing nuclear reactors and development of next-generation reactors, as well as renewable energy expansion, LNG and future fuel supply security and industry relocations. Kishida has promoted nuclear reactors to enhance the country's energy security under his GX strategy, updating the country's nuclear policies since he took office in October 2021. The nuclear-pro GX discussions may influence the continuing review of the country's strategy energy plan (SEP), which was last formulated in 2021 and calls for a reduction of the dependence on nuclear reactors as much as possible. Tokyo should clearly state in its new SEP that it is necessary to not only restart existing nuclear reactors but also build new ones, said Japan's Federation of Electric Power Companies previously. Kishida has decided to step down from his position as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party next month. But he has emphasised he will make an effort to advance the GX strategy during the rest of his tenure, especially for nuclear restoration in east Japan where no reactors are currently operating. Kishida plans to hold a nuclear-related ministerial meeting next week to work on details of the government support to secure approval by local authorities to restart the 1,356MW Kashiwazaki-Kariwa No.7 reactor. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant is owned by Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco). It is Tepco's sole nuclear plant, after the Fukushima-Daiichi and its nearby Fukushima-Daini nuclear plants were scrapped in the wake of the country's 2011 nuclear disaster following a devastating earthquake and tsunami. By Motoko Hasegawa Japan 2025-26 draft GX-related budget request (¥bn) Introduction of EVs, PHEVs, FCVs 144.4 Introduction of highly insulated windows, high-efficiency water heaters 188.0 Retrofitting existing buildings 26.6 SAF production and supply chain 83.8 R&D of next generation nuclear reactors 82.9 Introduction of energy storage system 31.0 Establishing domestic supply chains such as: 255.5 Perovskite solar cells, Offshore wind power, storage batteries, water electrolysers, fuel cells Support for hard-to-abate industries 87.0 Introduction of production facility for zero emissions vessel 14.3 Support for advanced energy saving measures by small to medium enterprises 174.3 Circular economy 12.0 Support for deep-tech, start-up companies related to GX 40.0 Grant for regional decarbonisation, such as private micro grid 10.0 Total 1,149.8 Source: Japan cabinet secretariat Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Batteries, oil reserves top Korea’s trade budget focus
Batteries, oil reserves top Korea’s trade budget focus
Singapore, 28 August (Argus) — South Korea's trade, industry and energy ministry (Motie) today announced its 2025 budget proposal, which has a focus on fostering high-tech industries such as batteries and semiconductors, and bolstering oil reserves. Other key areas include ensuring reserves of key metals, as well as expanding low-carbon energy. Motie's proposed 2025 budget totals W11.5 trillion ($8.6bn), up by 0.2pc or W21.8bn from the previous year. The budget proposal will be submitted to the National Assembly in early September for approval and will be confirmed in December. High-tech industries Motie will expand funding for developing high-tech strategic industries such as semiconductors and secondary batteries by 17pc to W2.09 trillion in 2025. The ministry will extend support totalling W31.2bn to further develop battery management system technology and infrastructure to assess the safety of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, with the ministry citing recent heightened safety concerns following multiple fires involving EVs. The incidents had prompted domestic EV manufacturers to disclose otherwise confidential battery information. Resource security Motie will raise funding to boost economic security by 1.4pc to W1.85 trillion in 2025, which includes developing resources, as well as bolstering stockpiles of oil and key minerals. Of the W1.85 trillion, investment in developing oil fields will rise by 5.2pc to W50.6bn. This includes funds to support the first exploration drilling in the deep-sea gas field in the east sea , with results expected by the first half of 2025. The country plans to invest W79.9bn in 2025, up by 20pc from 2024, in oil storage, and to expand oil reserves to over 100mn bl. Stockpiling of key minerals such as lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements will continue, but the South Korean government is shifting its focus to building and maintaining stockpile infrastructure given stable mineral prices. Its budget for key minerals stockpiling will be lowered by 58pc from this year's W233.1bn to W96.9bn for 2025, but the allocated budget for construction and maintenance will surge by over sixfold to W116.3bn from this year's W18.7bn. The country will also support concluding supply deals for urea and further develop technology to cut import dependence. Low-carbon energy Motie's "carbon-free" energy budget is largely focused on developing the nuclear power industry as a key export driver, with W11.6bn allocated. The Czech government in July selected Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) as the preferred bidder for the installation of two nuclear reactors at the site of its 2GW Dukovany power plant, although US nuclear developer Westinghouse and French utility EdF are challenging the tender results . The government is also extending W198.4bn in funds to expand renewable energy supply. Of this, W42bn will be allocated to support low-carbon energy projects, which Motie expects to attract funding of up to W525bn in the renewable energy market. By Tng Yong Li and Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan’s NRA rejects restart for Tsuruga No.2 reactor
Japan’s NRA rejects restart for Tsuruga No.2 reactor
Tokyo, 28 August (Argus) — Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) today rejected a draft safety clearance for Japan Atomic Power's (JAPC) 1,160MW Tsuruga No.2 reactor to restart operations. This is the first time the NRA has rejected a draft safety clearance for a nuclear reactor since it was set up in 2012. The NRA plans to receive technical and scientific comments from the public for 30 days from 29 August and then will make an official, final decision. It is unclear when NRA will make this final decision. A NRA committee on 26 July dismissed a claim by JAPC arguing that an earthquake fault line under Tsuruga in west Japan's Fukui prefecture is unlikely to be active, so operating the Tsuruga No.2 reactor will be safe even if a disaster occurred. The NRA on 28 August said that there were many mistakes and falsifications of documents and data submitted by JAPC, resulting in it taking around 10 years to assess the safety of the reactor. JAPC said it will continue to attempt a restart of the Tsuruga No.2 reactor. Japan's guidelines prohibit any reactors from being built above an active fault line. The NRA and seismologists in 2015 concluded that JAPC's Tsuruga No.1 and No.2 reactors were located above such a fault line. But JAPC said in 2015 that NRA's conclusion was unacceptable, claiming its own assessment showed the fault line was inactive. Japan, which is one of the world's most seismically active countries, has been checking the status of tectonic fault lines underneath reactors since a devastating earthquake and tsunami sparked a nuclear disaster at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima power plant in March 2011. By Nanami Oki Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Coal developments at odds with Cop fossil fuel pledge
Coal developments at odds with Cop fossil fuel pledge
London, 27 August (Argus) — Coal market developments, particularly in India and China, are at odds with the direction of recent UN climate summits, including Cop 28 in Dubai last year, which set the stage for the "beginning of the end" for the fossil fuel era. Despite calls to accelerate the phase-down of unabated coal-fired power generation, global coal trade is set to reach a record high of more than 1.5bn t this year, surpassing last year's 1.38bn t. Coal-fired power is likely to remain resilient, supported by higher electricity demand growth in China and India, according to energy watchdog the IEA. A total 15.6GW of coal-fired power capacity was added in the first half of this year, mostly in Asia-Pacific. This was far more than the 12GW that retired globally over the same period, and does not account for an additional 227.5GW that was still under construction as of the end of June, according to US-based Global Energy Monitor. Current global operational capacity of 2.12TW is down only slightlyfrom 2023's record 2.13TW. China and India's intentions for coal are key for global climate goals — they account for 203GW of the capacity under construction — but Beijing and New Delhi unsurprisingly watered down a coal deal at Cop 26 in 2021. China has not set a new nationally determined contribution, or climate plan, since 2021, but it is expected to ramp up its ambitions in a new plan by the start of 2025. It admitted its heavy dependence on coal is straining its environmental goals.China's coal imports grew by 12pc on the year to a record high in January-June. China's coal-fired generation increased by 1.5pc on the year to 3,000TWh in the first half of 2024, Argus data show, although solar and hydropower output also rose. Assuming a stronger rebound in hydropower generation over the rest of this year, China's coal-fired generation could be static or fall slightly, according to the IEA. And China last month announced its plans to explore co-firing renewable ammonia and biomass at its coal-fired plants, as well as carbon capture, utilisation and storage for some projects by 2025. India's coal-fired generation will remain robust and is likely to increase by 7pc this year, according to the IEA. The country experienced a prolonged heatwave in the first half of this year, causing coal-fired generation to rise by 10pc to 676TWh over the period, according to Argus data. The IEA expects higher renewable power output in India will limit the increase in coal-fired generation to 2pc in 2025. Vicious cycles? India and Indonesia are strongly encouraging higher coal production to ensure energy security. In tandem, record temperatures and a prolonged heatwave across most of Asia has boosted power demand this year, straining grids and causing power cuts. Vietnam is also an increasingly important consumer and is set to become the third-largest coal importer by 2035 — behind only China and India. Vietnam has 27.2GW of operating coal-fired capacity at present, and an additional 6GW is in the pipeline. Coal continues to play a key role in the country's $15.8bn Just Energy Transition Partnership plan, which is supposed to help decarbonise its economy. Peak power demand is met by coal in Vietnam, India, Indonesia and China. Unlike in Europe, where the coal-fired fleet is older, it is harder to make an economic case for retiring Asia-Pacific's newer plants, and the region's grids do not yet have the flexibility to replace base-load power. This year has brought some progress in developed economies, with G7 leaders committing to a coal phase-out by 2035. But no concrete policies have been passed, and the countries limited themselves to calling for reducing coal use "as much as possible" — providing room for manoeuvre for Germany, Japan and the US. By Ashima Sharma and Joseph Clarke Global coal-fired capacity TW Global coal capacity additions, retirements MW Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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