Japanese spending on imported fossil fuels soared in the latter part of last year, helping push the country to a trade deficit for the second year in a row. Emissions targets are under revision as most nuclear power plants remain closed.
The most sustainable national power systems in the world combine nuclear with hydro for mass low-carbon generation, a World Energy Council study shows.
An OECD report has highlighted the contribution nuclear already makes to the energy mix as well as how it can fit into future low-carbon networks. The report is aimed at informing the policymaking of the body's member governments.
The carbon intensity of generating capacity owned by the EDF group of companies fell below 100 g/kWh for the first time in 2011, while in France EDF's emission rate dived 25% to 30.4 g/kWh.
.jpg "Yoshihiko_Noda_14_September_2012_(x48).jpg")
_615x160.jpg)
Increased use of fossil fuels for power generation was the main driving force behind a rise in Japanese greenhouse gas emissions for 2011, even though the country saw a fall in manufacturing output.