Same - but different: energy issues for China and Japan

Both China and Japan are attempting to cope with rapidly changing energy situations. In China it has been brought about by rapidly rising energy demand in the last two decades, that has started to subside since the country's economic slowdown. For Japan, the energy implications of the Fukushima nuclear power plant explosion following the Great Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tidal wave in 2011 is still working through the energy industry. Two articles out this week highlighted the issues.

China's accelerating global manufacturing dominance together with rapid urbanisation over the last two decades has created a growing need for energy - particularly electricity - to power the country. The 'two new coal-fired power stations opening every week' claim of the past few years has been indicative of both the rate of industrialisation in the country, plus a vocal concern of China's contribution to CO2 emissions and climate change. Not a signatory of the Kyoto Accord on climate change, it was a relief to many to see China sign up to the Paris COP21 Agreement in December 2015 and agree to reduce carbon emissions over the next three decades. What has been further below the radar is that China has one of the fastest growing renewable-energy sectors in the world with wind and solar energy systems expanding rapidly. In fact, China now has over-supply of electricity and is partially shutting down some of its wind farms to stop contributing to the surplus. This report from BBC news :" 'China embarked on wind power frenzy' says IEA" outlines the current energy situation in the country. In July 2016, the Chinese government stopped issuing licenses for the construction of any more coal-fired power stations, at least until 2018, as a response to declining economic activity as a result of the continuing world economic slowdown following the 2008 global financial crisis.

Japan is still reeling from the earthquake and tidal wave that hit the Sendai region in 2011 causing an explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and rendering an area 20km around the plant as a radiation exclusion zone. This week it announced it has closed a trial nuclear fast-breeder experimental power station as rising costs and continuing public concern over the reliance on nuclear energy in the country combine. Japan has only 3 nuclear power stations operational out of 42 in total following the closure of all of them in the wake of the disaster. 23 others are in the processes of applying for re-start licences but there is national loss of faith in nuclear energy and whether all will get the 'ok' to power up again is open to question. Japan faces the twin issue of what to do with all its plutonium waste from decades of nuclear operation (the fast breeder was meant to consume this as 'fuel') and how to compensate for so many nuclear power stations being moth-balled. Read more in The Japan Times: 'Japan to scrap troubled Y1trillion Monju fast-breeder reactor'.