VOA慢速英语--Nuclear Energy's Slow Return Hurts Japan's Power Producers

 

A new study shows that the Japanese nuclear industry is unlikely to reach a government target of providing at least 20 percent of the country’s energy by 2030.

The study was prepared for the Reuters news agency.

In Japan, eight nuclear power centers are currently producing electricity. Another is expected to start operating this month. That means nuclear centers are set to provide more electricity this year than any other form of renewable energy, except for hydroelectric power.

It will be the first time Japan’s nuclear industry has produced that much electricity since 2011. That was the year when an earthquake and tsunami¹ destroyed part of the Fukushima power center in eastern Japan.

After that disaster, all of the country’s nuclear power centers were ordered closed.

Researchers say as few as six nuclear power centers are likely to re-start production in the next five years. That is likely to result in fewer than the 30 power centers needed to reach the government’s goal by 2030.

Reuters noted² that, based on its research, Japan may get 15 percent of its electricity from nuclear energy by 2030.

Two nuclear technologies compete for approval

“It’s impossible to meet the target, that’s pretty much confirmed,” said Takeo Kikkawa, an energy studies professor at the Tokyo University of Science. He was part of a group that studied Japan’s energy policy earlier this year.

Kikkawa said that he did not expect other nuclear reactors³ to restart operations before 2020.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority created new safety rules after the Fukushima disaster.

All nuclear reactors had to receive new operating permits before restarting.

But the recovery has been slow. Before the disaster, Japan had 54 reactors, which provided 30 percent of the country’s electricity. At that time, Japan had the third largest number of reactors in the world.

But the return of nuclear energy in Japan has been uneven⁵ and may be based on the technology used.

Kansai Electric Power and Kyushu Electric Power have won approval or are set to receive permits to restart all of their reactors. Those reactors use pressurized water to create electricity. All are far away from Tokyo, home to over 9 million people.

In eastern Japan, boiling water reactor⁴, or BWR technology is used to produce electricity.

Japanese courts are hearing many cases involving nuclear reactors in the eastern part of the country. In addition, government regulators are disputing risk levels with power plant operators.

The older BWR technology is being reconsidered because it was used at Fukushima.

Nobuo Tanaka is chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. He served as head of the International Energy Agency from 2007 to 2011.

Tanaka notes that reactor design has become a political issue. “When you come to the BWRs, the issue becomes very politicized,” he said.

He added that the public image of another major electricity provider, Tepco, has been harmed. Tepco operates two nuclear plants that have been damaged in natural disasters.

Tanaka said, “Tepco does not have any support as a nuclear operator.”

Tepco has reached the first level in the approval process for some of its plants, but it faces local opposition⁶.

However, supporters of Japan’s power industry point to progress.

Satoru Katsuno is chairman of a group representing electric utilities in Japan. He said that approval of pressurized water reactors takes time. He noted there also are developments with boiling water reactors.

Katsuno is president of the utility Chubu Electric. His company has been locked in a dispute with regulators over its Hamaoka nuclear energy center on Japan’s east coast, which uses the older technology.

Increased use of carbon-based fuels

For now, many experts believe that Japan will depend on fossil fuels, such as liquefied natural gas and coal, for a large part of its energy production. That could be needed as the growth of solar, wind and hydropower energy slows.

However, that will make meeting international agreements to cut carbon dioxide gases more difficult for the country.

In the last six years, Japan has had to buy fuel to replace the energy that would have been created by nuclear reactors. Most of that fuel has been liquefied natural gas. The government estimates that the electricity industry has had to spend $130 billion for fuel during that period.

Utility industry officials say the lack of realistic energy goals makes it difficult to invest for the future.

And concerns over the ability of power stations to survive natural disasters are strengthened with each new event.

I’m Mario Ritter.

Words in This Story

renewable –adj. able to be replaced by nature

plant –n. a building or factory were something is made

reactor –n. a large device that produces nuclear energy

regulator –n. an official who works for the part of the government that controls a public activity by making and enforcing rules

utility –n. a service such as electricity or water that is provided to the public

lock – v. connecting or securing together

boiling – adj. heating water or another liquid

impossible – adj. very undesirable⁷; unable to take place

tsunami – n. a great wave produced by volcanic⁸ activity or an earthquake

hydroelectric – adj. related to production of electricity by water power

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

4 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

5 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 undesirable   

adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子

参考例句：

• They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
• Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。

8 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。