Report that puts nuclear power cost well above 2004 estimate endorsed

Report that puts nuclear power cost well above 2004 estimate endorsed
(Mainichi Japan) 
December 20, 2011


The No. 1 reactor building of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant is pictured in this photo taken from an unmanned, remote-controlled helicopter on April 10, 2011. 


TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A government panel on Monday endorsed a report that recalculated the power generation costs of various energy sources in the wake of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, with the cost of nuclear power generation estimated well above the previous projection in 2004.



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The report is expected to be reflected in discussions to review the country's energy policy, which is moving toward reducing reliance on nuclear power after the Fukushima disaster threw the safety of Japan's nuclear power plants into doubt.


According to the report, nuclear power generation costs 8.9 yen per kilowatt hour when including expenses associated with nuclear accidents, higher than a 2004 projection of 5.9 yen per kwh. The figure was unchanged from the draft unveiled last Tuesday.


Huge wind power generators stand in the Aomori Prefecture village of Rokkasho with the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the background.


The report said that costs would increase depending on the scale of damage caused by a severe nuclear accident. The 8.9 yen figure assumes losses totaling 5.8 trillion yen and would increase by 0.1 yen for every additional 1 trillion yen in losses.


The cost figures for electricity generated by coal-powered thermal plants as well as by liquefied natural gas-powered thermal plants were also unchanged from the draft at 9.5 yen per kwh and 10.7 yen per kwh, respectively.


In the 2004 projection, the cost of electricity generated by coal plants was pegged at 5.7 yen per kwh and that from LNG plants at 6.2 yen per kwh.


One of two new solar arrays in the Ogishima district of Kawasaki is seen in this aerial photo on Aug. 5. (Mainichi)
Minor revisions were made to the projected cost for 2030 of coal-powered thermal plants, which dropped to 10.3 yen per kwh from the draft estimate of 10.8 yen after including a possible improvement in power generation efficiency.


As for renewable energy sources, the cost of wind power generation on land was estimated at between 9.9 and 17.3 yen per kwh, and of power generated by home solar panels at 33.4 yen to 38.3 yen per kwh.


But in 2030, the report said the cost of wind and solar power generation could drop to as low as 8.8 and 9.9 yen per kwh , respectively, owing to technological advances and mass production of the equipment used.