Japan could boost the share of renewable energy in its electricity production to 80 percent by fiscal 2035 by expanding the use of storage batteries and enhancing regional power grid cooperation, the Renewable Energy Institute (REI) stated in its latest report.
In addition, the country can reduce its CO2 emissions by 65 percent by increasing the number of storage batteries and grid interconnection, making it possible to supply electricity based on a mix of 80 percent renewable energy, including 50 percent variable renewables.
This transition, the report added, will enable the decarbonization of domestic manufacturing, including steel production. At the same time, it will stimulate the location of data centers, semiconductor plants, and other new industries that commit to using renewable electricity.
“While energy efficiency increased at an annual rate of 1.9 percent from FY2013 to FY2021, we estimate it to grow by 4.1 percent between FY2021 and FY2035, thereby doubling the energy efficiency improvement rate,” added REI.
Accelerating the deployment of renewable energy
Accelerating the deployment of renewable energy systems in Japan necessitates regulatory reforms, to improve grid access, improve management of curtailment, unify and streamline regulations and procedures, digitalize assessment-related information, and extend the period for the conversion of farmland.
“To ensure the fairness and transparency of grid access and utilization, it is also important to enhance the independence of power transmission and distribution businesses by imposing strict separation rules and strict monitoring,” added REI.
In order to meet hourly power supply requirements with renewable energy, Japan needs to enhance grid interconnection between Hokkaido and Tokyo. “Our scenario assumes that substantial progress in the development of offshore wind power in Hokkaido and Tohoku will help to achieve 80 percent renewable electricity by 2035, significantly more ambitious than the assumption underlying the OCCTO Master Plan,” added the report.
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Japanese technology to bolster power innovation
REI says that the goal of 80 percent renewable energy is still achievable in Japan without nuclear power or zero-emission thermal power. Through cheaper solar power, wind power, and storage batteries, renewable energy adoption will increase.
The report attributes the decline in prices in large to information technology. Transitioning quickly to an electric power system of a new generation can pave the way for Japan to develop advanced technological power capabilities that can benefit the rest of the world.
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