Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida said he wants to operate nine commercial nuclear power plants this winter to address a looming electricity shortage, increasing the number online from five.

The move will allow the country to secure about 10% of its electricity needs from nuclear energy, Mr Kishida said.

“Safety will be a prerequisite for taking this forward,” Mr Kishida said. Noting that the country lacked natural resources, he added: “We need to have a balanced mix of various energy sources.”