No. 1350 One Year After Suspension of Operation of Nuclear Power Plants in Germany
It has passed a year after Germany suspended operation of the nuclear power plants (NPPs) on April 15 last year. Meanwhile, however, today’s international trend goes toward nuclear power generation, justifying carbon neutral. The Kishida government, too, runs along the nuclear power promotion policy line without embarrassment, though the country is placed under the emergency declaration status coming from the disastrous accidents at the Fukushima NPPs.
WE MUST STOP REVERSE FLOW TO GO TO NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION!
Japan must learn from Germany’s decision
Germany, learning from the disasters at the Fukushima-Daiichi, has made a state’s decision to abandon nuclear power generation. Last year in April its government finally suspended operation at the three stations which were left intact.
It was 12 years after the announcement made by former Chancellor Merkel in 2011 to terminate operation at all the 17 power stations by the end of the fiscal 2022. The European nation is engaged in decommissioning work now, though risks from earthquakes are enormously lower, if compared with those in Japan. Germany still has 16 facilities for interim storage of waste and none for final disposal.
The German government, though it faces high fuel cost due to the war in Ukraine, keeps a firm stance to quit nuclear energy. Its law on the development does not permit to build a new station. The country aims to supply electricity solely by way of renewable energy sources by the year 2035. Power companies have changed their management policies so that they could invest to developing renewable energy sources.
In Italy, in which earthquakes occur frequently, four NPPs used to generate electricity, but in 1987, after the accident at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union, a plebiscite was held to throw away nuclear energy. Later, the Italian government attempted to reoperate the plants, but the intent was rejected again in the national referendum held after the catastrophe in Fukushima. Currently decommissioning work are going on at the four sites to be completed in 2042. Though the government side wishes to back to nuclear energy, while the people’s side refutes the plan there.
Taking advantage of decarbonization
Under these circumstances today several countries openly try to boost nuclear power generation by three times, taking advantage of an explanation on global warming in which they will hold down the temperature rising within a 1.5-degree Celsius realm, compared with the figure during the pre-industrial revolution era. Last December in the UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP28) held in Dubay, UAE, twenty-two countries, including Japan, Republic of Korea, France and Canada supported the US delegate’s proposal, a declaration to increase nuclear energy by three times.
The plan is to heighten the current generation level around 450GW (giga-watt) to attain roughly 1200GW by the year 2050; presented was an estimate of the total generation at NPPs which are under operation, construction and planning, excluding at those in decommissioning plan. We must pay a serious attention, too, to developments in China, Russia and India, which are major nuclear actors, though they did not agree to the US offer.
Voices to oppose nuclear energy are crucial
The Kishida government, with its majority force, enacted a law, the Basic Policy for Realizing Green Transformation, in the ordinary session of the Diet last year. The law provides nuclear-related industries with favorite conditions, utilizing the policies on prevention of global warming. Part of the industries’ profits converts to political funds or off-the-book money to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
In the earthquakes in the Noto Peninsula region which occurred on January 1, 2024, too, the NPP at Shika in the area was inflicted with severe damages. People could not find a way to evacuate as roads were disrupted and airports and ports were crippled. That was a reality. Complete abolishment of nuclear power generation is the only way to protect people’s life and livelihood as well as the fundamental human rights.
ドイツが昨年４月15日に原発を全停止して１年になる。一方、世界は脱炭素を口実に原発回帰の流れ。岸田政権も、福島原発事故による緊急事態宣言下にありながら平然と原発推進路線を暴走する。
独の全廃見習おう
福島第一原発の事故を見てドイツは原発廃止を決め、最後に残った３基を昨年４月停止した。
メルケル首相（当時）が11年に全17基の運転を22年度末に停止すると脱原発を宣言して12年目だった。廃炉作業を進めるドイツだが、日本と段違いに地震の危険性が低くても、いまだ中間貯蔵施設は16カ所、最終処分場はゼロだ。
ドイツではウクライナ戦争で燃料の高騰がありながらも脱原発は揺らいでいない。原子力法は原発の新規建設を認めていない。２０３５年までに再生可能エネルギーのみによる電力供給を目指す。電気事業者は再生可能エネルギーに投資する経営戦略に転換している。
地震国のイタリアは、かつて４原発が稼働していたが、旧ソ連のチェルノブイリ原発事故後の１９８７年、国民投票で脱原発を決めた。その後、政府は原発再稼働を目指したが、福島事故の後、再び国民投票で否決された。４原発すべてが廃炉作業中で、２０４２年の廃炉完了を目指している。政府の原発回帰を国民が拒否する構造となっている。
脱炭素に便乗して
一方、気温上昇を産業革命以前に比べ１・５℃以内に抑制しようとの地球温暖化対策を口実に、原発を３倍化しようとの動きが表面化している。昨年12月、アラブ首長国のドバイで開かれた国連気候変動会議（ Ｃ Ｏ Ｐ28）にあわせて米国が「原発３ 倍化宣言」を提案し、日本や韓国、フランス、カナダなど22カ国が賛同した。
現在運転中や建設中、計画中から廃炉見通しを除く約４５０ Ｇ Ｗ（ ギガワット）を２０５０年に約１２００ＧＷにしようというものだ。このほかにも宣言の賛同国となっていないが、原発大国の中国やロシア、インドの動きも要注意だ。
原発反対の声こそ
原発推進の岸田政権は、昨年の通常国会で「ＧＸ脱炭素電源法」を強行した。地球温暖化防止に便乗した原発産業への利益供与だ。そして、業界の利益の一部は自民党の政治資金・裏金となっている。
能登半島地震でも志賀原発が大きな被害を受け、道路寸断や空港、港湾の被害で避難できない現実が露呈した。原発全廃こそ命と暮らし、人権を守る道だ。
英訳版↓
No. 1350 One Year After Suspension of Operation of Nuclear Power Plants in Germany
It has passed a year after Germany suspended operation of the nuclear power plants (NPPs) on April 15 last year. Meanwhile, however, today’s international trend goes toward nuclear power generation, justifying carbon neutral. The Kishida government, too, runs along the nuclear power promotion policy line without embarrassment, though the country is placed under the emergency declaration status coming from the disastrous accidents at the Fukushima NPPs.
WE MUST STOP REVERSE FLOW TO GO TO NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION!
Japan must learn from Germany’s decision
Germany, learning from the disasters at the Fukushima-Daiichi, has made a state’s decision to abandon nuclear power generation. Last year in April its government finally suspended operation at the three stations which were left intact.
It was 12 years after the announcement made by former Chancellor Merkel in 2011 to terminate operation at all the 17 power stations by the end of the fiscal 2022. The European nation is engaged in decommissioning work now, though risks from earthquakes are enormously lower, if compared with those in Japan. Germany still has 16 facilities for interim storage of waste and none for final disposal.
The German government, though it faces high fuel cost due to the war in Ukraine, keeps a firm stance to quit nuclear energy. Its law on the development does not permit to build a new station. The country aims to supply electricity solely by way of renewable energy sources by the year 2035. Power companies have changed their management policies so that they could invest to developing renewable energy sources.
In Italy, in which earthquakes occur frequently, four NPPs used to generate electricity, but in 1987, after the accident at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union, a plebiscite was held to throw away nuclear energy. Later, the Italian government attempted to reoperate the plants, but the intent was rejected again in the national referendum held after the catastrophe in Fukushima. Currently decommissioning work are going on at the four sites to be completed in 2042. Though the government side wishes to back to nuclear energy, while the people’s side refutes the plan there.
Taking advantage of decarbonization
Under these circumstances today several countries openly try to boost nuclear power generation by three times, taking advantage of an explanation on global warming in which they will hold down the temperature rising within a 1.5-degree Celsius realm, compared with the figure during the pre-industrial revolution era. Last December in the UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP28) held in Dubay, UAE, twenty-two countries, including Japan, Republic of Korea, France and Canada supported the US delegate’s proposal, a declaration to increase nuclear energy by three times.
The plan is to heighten the current generation level around 450GW (giga-watt) to attain roughly 1200GW by the year 2050; presented was an estimate of the total generation at NPPs which are under operation, construction and planning, excluding at those in decommissioning plan. We must pay a serious attention, too, to developments in China, Russia and India, which are major nuclear actors, though they did not agree to the US offer.
Voices to oppose nuclear energy are crucial
The Kishida government, with its majority force, enacted a law, the Basic Policy for Realizing Green Transformation, in the ordinary session of the Diet last year. The law provides nuclear-related industries with favorite conditions, utilizing the policies on prevention of global warming. Part of the industries’ profits converts to political funds or off-the-book money to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
In the earthquakes in the Noto Peninsula region which occurred on January 1, 2024, too, the NPP at Shika in the area was inflicted with severe damages. People could not find a way to evacuate as roads were disrupted and airports and ports were crippled. That was a reality. Complete abolishment of nuclear power generation is the only way to protect people’s life and livelihood as well as the fundamental human rights.
April 10, 2024