Despite rising safety costs following the 2011 Fukushima tsunami and associated damage to the nuclear reactors, nuclear-power generation is still cheaper than other electricity sources such as fossil fuels, wind and solar energy, the Industry Ministry said Monday.\n\nThe Ministry will present a proposal for the best energy mix soon based on the estimate and other factors. Sources have said Japan aims to set the ratio of nuclear power generation to total electricity production in 2030 at 20 percent to 22 percent, although antinuclear activists have called for further lowering the percentage from 28.6 percent in fiscal 2010.\n\nAccording to the latest estimate of power generation costs unveiled by the Ministry, nuclear power would cost 10.1 yen per kilowatt-hour in 2030. The figure was raised from 8.9 yen projected in 2011, taking into account the huge expenses needed for power companies to boost the safety of nuclear plants under the more stringent post-Fukushima regulations introduced in 2013.\n\nBut that is cheaper than the 12.9 yen for coal-fired power generation, up to 16.4 yen for solar, and up to 33.1 yen for wind, said the Ministry, maintaining the view that nuclear power is still competitive.\n\nAlthough the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to lower the dependence on nuclear power and promote renewable energy as much as possible following the March 2011 nuclear plant incident, where no one died or was irradiated. The government is striving to restart nuclear reactors that have met the new regulations, saying stable energy supply is vital for economic growth in Japan.
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