In line with the government’s new strategic energy plan, the subcommittee has been deliberating on the nation’s so-called “energy mix” since January, and appears to be nearing a final recommendation.
In deciding the composition of power sources, it estimated electricity demand at 980.8TWh, as demonstrated at the previous meeting, assuming the thorough promotion of energy conservation measures. Additionally, with the maximum introduction of renewable energies, it strongly urges “reduced dependence on nuclear power,” as stated in the strategic energy plan.
On that basis, the subcommittee’s percentage breakdown by source of power is shaping up as 22% to 24% for renewables, 20% to 22% for nuclear, and approximately 27%, 26%, and 3% for LNG, coal, and oil, respectively. Base-load power sources (geothermal, hydropower, nuclear and coal-fired) will be about 56% of the total.
As a result, Japan’s rate of self-sufficiency in primary energy, which plunged to 6% after the giant earthquake of March 11, 2011, would rise to about 24.3%. Meanwhile, energy-derived CO2 emissions would be 21.9% less than in 2013.
At the recent subcommittee meeting, a working group presented a report, finalized the previous day, on verifying generating costs (see the April 30 article entitled “Nuclear Generating Costs in 2030 Put at JPY10.1/kWh, Superior to Rest”).
Toward finalizing the subcommittee’s proposal on the country’s energy mix, its chairman, Masahiro Sakane, councilor of Komatsu Ltd., reiterated that, in his words, “renewable energies and energy conservation are the only real sources.” He urged the subcommittee members to speak out clearly for a well-balanced “3E+S approach” (namely, energy security, economic efficiency, environmental protection and safety).
