Energy in Japan

Japan is a major consumer of energy, ranking fifth in the world by primary energy use. Fossil fuels accounted for 67% of Japan's primary energy in 2023. Japan imports most of its energy due to scarce domestic resources. As of 2022, the country imports 97% of its oil and is the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer globally.

Japan is increasing its reliance on renewable energy to replace imported fossil fuels, and in 2019 renewable energy accounted for 7.8% of primary energy supply. Japan has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, setting a target to reduce GHG emissions by 46% from 2013 levels by 2030.

Japan initiated its first commercial nuclear power reactor in 1966, establishing nuclear energy as a strategic national priority from 1973 onwards. Following the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, this strategy underwent re-evaluation and are now making new plans to proactively utilize nuclear power. They had added new plans in the 7th Strategic Energy Plan: planning to build and use a safer and more efficient nuclear power, with consideration for the consent of the local community, changing the rule for the 60 year limit to exclude the period during the shutdown, and to implement plutonium to at least 12 nuclear power plants by Fiscal year 2030.

Prior to the accident, nuclear reactors contributed about 30% of Japan's electricity, with the country now aiming for nuclear energy to account for at least 20% of its electricity production by 2030. The Fukushima accident also led to a 16% reduction in total primary energy supply (TPES) from 2010 to 2019. However, because of current needs of Digital Transformation (DX) and Green Transformation (GX) from the massive need of electricity from AI, data centers, and semiconductor manufacturing, the demand for electricity is expected to increase. Moreover, the government has also made a goal to raise Japan's energy self-sufficiency rate to about 30 to 40% by Fiscal year 2040. Therefore, it is more likely that the usage of nuclear power will move towards increasing instead of stagnating.