Some of the news in recent weeks has suggested the Japanese government is ‘rushing’ to restart reactors in order to avoid a total shutdown of the country’s nuclear energy generation. After Fukushima the government ordered reactors shut down for stress tests – some immediately and others during scheduled downtime for maintenance. The theory presented by some in the Media is that with no reactors running, Japan will have proved it doesn’t need nuclear energy.
Let’s consider that thought in the light of two figures. 300,000 and $123m. Put into context that’s 300,000 additional barrels of oil every day and $123 million dollars per day. Both figures are estimates of the cost Japan is paying in order to survive without its fleet of nuclear reactors. The government has rightly ensured a lengthy period of testing and consultation for each reactor. Indeed, safety testing is an integral part of all areas of the energy industry including coal and gas (a fact that some commentators neglect to reference when discussing nuclear energy). In my opinion the government is looking to restart not for some sort of political point scoring but because it is time to re-engage its policy of clean and economical energy – something that Japan desperately needs.
