REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 40 - Wartime Regime

Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo: Prime Minister's Office

"As for the 36 nuclear power plants in operation in Japan, we expect to operate them with a target operating rate of eighty percent..."

Naruo Kageyama, on loan from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, smoothly explained in a conference room where the members of the task force are gathered. In the medium to long term, they must secure uranium in some way, but in the short term at least, nuclear power plants without the fear of fuel depletion were indispensable for maintaining a minimum level of economic activity and people's lives. For this reason, inspections will be greatly simplified, and the plant will go critical as soon as it is ready.

"We will improve the efficiency of operations at each power plant, including the implementation of load-following operations. It is also our policy to gradually restart the nuclear power plants that are currently being decommissioned, such as Onagawa and Fukushima Daini, and we estimate that we can ultimately secure 47 to 51 percent of the power we previously had through a mix of nuclear, hydro, renewable, and other non-fossil fuel power."

"What about the governor of Fukushima Prefecture?"

"We managed to get his informal consent."

Kageyama looked a bit relieved.

"In other words, it's like that unopened convenience store onigiri that you find on the side of the road."

The head of the task force to which Kageyama belongs, in other words, Iida of the Economic Affairs Division, brought up such a metaphor.

"Normally, no one would pick them, but if there is a real shortage of food, people will fight over it."

"Indeed."

Muto, the deputy director of the task force who chaired the meeting, snorted lightly as he listened to the explanation. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, they were able to purchase alternative natural gas from many places, and to be honest, it seemed ridiculous considering the trillions of yen in additional fuel costs each year, but they were able to say that they were going nuclear power-free. Now that this premise has been fundamentally overturned, it is only natural that this should happen.

Furthermore, in the areas around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant where it is difficult to return home, there were plans to grow sweet potatoes or something similar in the future. The risk of one in 10.000 people getting cancer in a few decades is nothing compared to the risk of starvation a year from now. To be afraid of radiation in areas that are hard to get home to when most of them can smoke a few cigarettes a day or work 60 hours of overtime a month is nothing more than an unscientific attitude. If only they could have done something more about that part of the problem... No, there's no point in making such counterfactuals now.

"Anyway, this, together with various measures to reduce electricity demand, will postpone the depletion of fossil fuels for power generation until 18 months to two years from now. In the meantime, the situation will be further improved if domestic coal mines such as Yubari can be restarted and if coal and crude oil can be imported and transferred from Manchuria, Korea, and areas formerly occupied by the Japanese military. A simulation of that scenario is shown in Chart 25..."

Kageyama continued his explanation.

"In Manchuria, especially in the open-pit coal mines of Fushun, it is estimated that a considerable increase in production would be possible with the use of modern equipment. As shown in Figure 26, Fushun produces shale oil in addition to coal, and oil refining is already underway there. Of course, it is also possible to increase production with our support. However, shale oil is only better than nothing in terms of current needs."