Japan’s unseasonal curb highlights power instability
Energy supply is still missing its nuclear ‘third leg’ and a huge expansion of renewables is urgently needed
A request from the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan to curb use of non-essential electrical appliances this month highlights the need for decisive action to embrace renewable energy. Japanese peak demand usually comes in summer due to air-conditioning use, says Stefan Le Du, climate project manager at the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Co-operation in Tokyo. Winter peaks leading to requests to avoid non-essential appliances are more unusual, he says. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said the current 2030 national target for greenhouse gas reduction will be raised before Cop26. Increasing the use of nuclear power to do so remains fraught with political danger. “The only optio
Also in this section
25 April 2024
Carbon capture rates forecast to rise steadily from end of decade, but policy tools to drive large-scale deployment have yet to take shape, according to DNV
23 April 2024
Europe must unlock cross-border CO₂ trade if it wants to build a viable CCS sector for the long term
16 April 2024
US and European oil majors snap up smaller players and look to accelerate development in a region deemed to possess all the key elements for successful CCUS deployment
15 April 2024
Demand for credits seen rising 20% this year despite issues around integrity and standardisation