Overview

• Kansai Electric has resumed site surveys at the Mihama plant in Fukui Prefecture to explore building a new nuclear reactor that would be Japan’s first since the 2011 disaster.
• The feasibility study for replacing the plant’s decommissioned No. 1 unit is expected to span several years with no definitive start date set.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is proposing its SRZ-1200 reactor model as the most viable design for the project.
• Public opinion has shifted more favorably toward nuclear energy as AI-driven power demand intensifies.
• Trade Minister Yoji Muto pledged government measures to incentivize investment and strengthen the nuclear supply chain in order to secure more carbon-free electricity.