Japan’s nuclear energy generation up 11.2% in FY 2024

Thanks to several units resuming operations last year.

Nuclear electricity generation in Japan reached 93.48 terawatt-hours in fiscal year (FY) 2024, increasing 11.2% from the previous year.

Data compiled by the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) also showed that domestic nuclear power plants (NPPs) recorded an average capacity factor of 32.3%, up 3.4 percentage points.

Last year’s performance “represented the highest performance since the implementation of new regulatory standards in FY 2015.”

A total of 14 reactors resumed operations in FY 2024, namely Onagawa-2 (Tohoku Electric Power), Shimane-2 (Chugoku Electric Power), Mihama-3, Takahama-1, -2, -3, -4, and Ohi-3, -4 (Kansai Electric Power, or Kansai-EP), Ikata-3 (Shikoku Electric Power), Genkai-3, -4,and Sendai-1, -2 (Kyushu Electric Power)

These have a combined generating capacity of 13.25 gigawatts. 

“While the total number of NPPs in Japan remained unchanged at 33 units, with a cumulative capacity of 33.08 GW, the 14 restarted units alone achieved a capacity factor of 80.5%, even when accounting for the mid-year restarts of Onagawa-2 and Shimane-2,” JAIF said.

Several of Japan’s nuclear units are also entering long-term operation. This includes Mihama-3 and Takahama-1 and -2 (Kansai-EP) that have already surpassed 40 years of operation, as well as Takahama-1, the first reactor to exceed 50 years of operation.