Nuclear power holds great promise for repowering retired coal-fired power plants in Japan, providing firm generation for data centres and semiconductor facilities, producing industrial heat and hydrogen, and powering Japanese industries participating in a growing export market, the US-based Atlantic Council thinktank has said.

According to a blog post* on the council’s website, Japan’s government projects that energy demand will decrease as a result of a declining population and successful energy efficiency measures.

However, these projections have yet to reflect the government’s plans to boost energy-intensive industries and reverse Japan’s population decline.

Economic growth is also likely to lead to increased energy demand with the domestic semiconductor industry growing and rapid adoption of new AI tools boosting Japan’s economy and tech sector.