For Japan, shutting down nuclear plants brings surge in oil,

scottf200 · Apr 8, 2012

Was reading aggregate news this morning and stumbled on this article.

For Japan, shutting down nuclear plants brings surge in oil, gas imports

For Japan, shutting down nuclear plants brings surge in oil, gas imports - The Washington Post

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Even before last year’s nuclear crisis, a triple meltdown triggered by an earthquake and tsunami, Tokyo ranked as the world’s largest importer of LNG and third-largest importer of crude oil. But nuclear reactors powered one-third of the country’s needs, and the country planned for that share to increase to 50 percent.

Thirteen months later, only one of Japan’s 54 reactors is operating; some were shuttered because of the disaster, and most of the others have come offline for scheduled maintenance. Despite attempts by politicians in Tokyo to persuade them to do so, provincial governors and local communities won’t allow them to restart.

In February, nuclear plants produced just 3 percent of the total power generated in Japan. By next month, when the sole remaining reactor, on the northern island of Hokkaido, is due to shut down, Japan will be nuclear-free just as temperatures begin to climb.

In recent months, to fill the void, Japan’s imports of LNG, crude oil and heavy fuel oil have increased by 15 to 30 percent, compared with comparable periods before the disaster. A recent Deutsche Bank report calculated that Japan’s power generation costs in February were $1.9 billion higher than during a typical month in which nuclear plants were in operation.
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austingreen · Apr 8, 2012

scottf200 said: ↑

Was reading aggregate news this morning and stumbled on this article.

For Japan, shutting down nuclear plants brings surge in oil, gas imports

For Japan, shutting down nuclear plants brings surge in oil, gas imports - The Washington Post
Click to expand...

Japan Nuclear Power: New Safety Standards Set Ahead Of Restarting Reactors

Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the government can order utilities to restart reactors regardless of local opposition, because obtaining residents' consent is not legally required.

Critics and officials in cities and towns near Fukui are requesting explanations for the hastily-published guidelines.
"Why rush? It's too soon to decide. I think they should gain understanding from the public first," said Yukiko Kada, governor of Shiga prefecture bordering Fukui.

To make up for the shortfall, Japan has expanded production at conventional gas- and oil-fired plants. Noda has promised to reduce Japan's reliance on nuclear power over time and plans to lay out a new energy policy by the summer, but his government faces pressure from big businesses to quickly get reactors back on line and maintain nuclear power to keep the economy afloat.
Fukui, home to 13 reactors clustered in four complexes along the Sea of Japan coast, is called Japan's nuclear alley.
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It may be time to get that new energy plan out, its been a year.

Rybold · Apr 16, 2012

This is a good example of what could happen if other countries try to phase out nuclear too quickly - before adequate alternatives (renewable, efficiency, conservation) are in place.

For Japan, shutting down nuclear plants brings surge in oil,

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For Japan, shutting down nuclear plants brings surge in oil,

scottf200 Member

austingreen Senior Member

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