The Japanese government’s next energy plan must clearly lay out nuclear policy, including adding reactors and replacing existing ones, to help Japan achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Kazuhiro Ikebe, who chairs Japan’s federation of electric utilities, said.

The plan is undergoing its first revision since 2022, when prime minister Fumio Kishida signalled a major policy shift in favour of nuclear. Kishida’s government wants nuclear power generation to play a greater role in efforts to cut carbon emissions and ensure stable sources of energy.

Japan is set to start discussions later this year to revise the plan, which sets the framework for energy policy.