Interest in nuclear energy is on the rise, and a closed nuclear power plant in Hokkaido, a Japanese prefecture, may be restarted if the government can come around to supporting it.
According to Japan Forward, the third unit of the Hokkaido Electric Power Company's Tomari Nuclear Power Station has passed the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA)'s safety inspection.
While the passing of the inspection is a huge step forward, the plant is awaiting local approval by the Governor of Hokkaido, Naomichi Suzuki.
"What should not be overlooked is that it took 12 years for the NRA to conduct its safety review at the Tomari facility," Japan Forward reports.
A power blackout in 2018 due to the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake sparked deeper debate on the need for the Tomari nuclear plant to be restarted, as this would have prevented said blackout.
"As things stand today in Hokkaido, the various risks arising from the absence of nuclear power plants vastly outweigh the risks arising from nuclear power operations," the Japan Forward article argues. "If [Governor Suzuki] cannot understand this fact, his qualifications will be called into question."
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Nuclear energy can supply energy on demand — unlike wind and solar, which rely on the weather or time of day, though rapidly improving battery tech solves this — making the move away from dirty fuel sources arguably more seamless, or at least easier for renewable skeptics to grasp.
Major concerns with nuclear power pointed to by critics generally come down to safety issues, the production of radioactive waste, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Although these concerns are valid, they are balanced by the benefits, including being a cleaner and more sustainable energy source, as well as nuclear energy being abundant.
All in all, this energy source is complex, though most scientists agree the pros and cons add up to a better equation than seen with any fossil fuels — especially coal.
While the Tomari Unit 3 shut down in 2012 due to new regulations by the NRA, the plant has been working ever since then to reinstate its passing of the safety inspection. As local officials weigh their options, nuclear power will likely begin to fuel Hokkaido in the coming years.
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