Japan’s power demand increased by 9 TWh (+0.9 percent) in 2024, partly due to hotter summer temperatures.
Fossil fuel generation fell by 12 TWh (-1.7 percent), a smaller decline compared to 2023’s drop of 63 TWh (-8 percent), according to Ember report.
Clean energy generation in Japan rose by 21 TWh (+7 percent), led by increases in nuclear (+7.5 TWh, +9.6 percent) and solar (+5 TWh, +5.2 percent).
The growth in clean generation in 2024 was just over half the increase seen in 2023.
Japan’s power sector emissions dropped to 493 MtCO2 in 2024, the lowest level in 22 years and 25 percent below the 2012 peak.
Despite progress, emissions remained slightly above 2000 levels due to continued reliance on coal and gas for about two-thirds of electricity.
Solar’s share in Japan’s electricity mix rose from 2 percent in 2014 to 10 percent in 2024, while wind remained low at just 1 percent.
Japan lags behind other G7 countries, where wind accounts for 12 percent of electricity generation on average.
Nuclear power increased due to reactor restarts post-Fukushima, with two units reopening in 2024.
Japan produced less clean electricity in 2024 (322 TWh) than it did in 2000 (420 TWh), largely due to limited wind and slow nuclear recovery.
Wind and solar combined made up 11 percent of Japan’s power mix in 2024, below global (15 percent), regional (14 percent), and China’s (18 percent) averages.
Fossil fuels accounted for 69 percent of Japan’s electricity generation in 2024, higher than both the global (59 percent) and regional (66 percent) averages.
Nuclear contributed 8.3 percent to electricity generation in 2024, up from 7.6 percent in 2023, with 10 reactors under review for future restart.
Japan’s energy plan targets a 20 percent nuclear share by 2040.
Carbon intensity of Japan’s power sector was 482 gCO2/kWh in 2024, slightly above the global average but below the Asian regional average.
Japan’s per capita emissions were 4 tCO2 in 2024, more than double the global average (1.8 tCO2) and almost twice the regional average (2.1 tCO2), driven by high per capita power demand (8.3 MWh).
GreentechLead.com News Desk