日本檢討電力政策

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:
エネルギー政策の見直しに伴って、発電方式ごとのコストを検証している政府の委員会が開かれ、原子力発電のコストは、事故の際の賠償費用などを含めると、これまでの試算よりも５割程度高くなるなどとした、報告書の素案をまとめました。
報告書の素案では、原子力発電のコストについて、１キロワットアワー当たり、最低でも８．９円としており、これまでの試算の５．９円に比べると、５割程度高くなっています。これは、東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故でこれまでに明らかになった賠償費用や、使用済み核燃料の処分に必要な費用などを加味した結果だということです。一方、素案では、石炭と液化天然ガスを燃料とする火力発電のコストについては、１キロワットアワー当たり１０円前後と試算し、コスト面で原子力発電と競争できると指摘しています。また、住宅向けの太陽光発電は、今後の量産効果などによって、２０３０年には、最低で１キロワットアワー当たり９．９円までコストが下がる可能性があるとしています。委員会は、こうした試算について、１３日の議論を踏まえて、一部修正を加えたうえで、１９日にも報告書をまとめ、新しいエネルギー政策の全体像を決める関係閣僚会議に提出することにしています。
(試譯文)
While also doing the re-examination of the energy policy at the same time, the government's committee which checked the cost for all power generation methods was held; in a draft report the cost of nuclear power generation calculated so far presupposed that it would be about 50 percent higher than the old trial calculation when compensatory expenses in case of an accident etc. were included.
By a draft report, it was considered that the cost of nuclear power generation was at least 8.9 yen per kilowatt-hour, which was about 50 percent higher compared with 5.9 yen of old trial calculation done so far. It was the result of after taking into account the compensatory expenses which had become clear now regarding the accident at the number one nuclear power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Fukushima, and also expenses required to dispose the used nuclear fuel etc. On the other hand, by the draft, regarding the cost of thermal power generation which used coal and liquefied natural gas as fuel, the trial calculation was around 10 yen per kilowatt-hour, indicating that it could compete with nuclear power generation in respect of cost. Moreover, regarding housing-oriented photovoltaic, the cost might decline to as low as 9.9 yen per kilowatt-hour in 2030 because of volume efficiency etc. in the future. On the 13th, based on such a trial calculation the committee would hold discussion and add partial correction; it also would compile a report on the 19th and present it to the ministerial conference which would determine the overall picture of the new energy policy.

It seems that Japan would be reviewing their reliance on nuclear energy.