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Japan's domestic energy landscape was dominated by the long-awaited restart of the world's largest nuclear power plant in Niigata by TEPCO, marking a significant milestone in the country's return to nuclear energy. However, the restart was immediately complicated by operational issues, including a brief alert and the subsequent shutdown of one reactor hours after it came online. Concurrently, TEPCO continues to manage the substantial legacy of the Fukushima disaster, projecting a large annual loss and maintaining its commitment to decommission the damaged plant, while evacuated areas nearby see nature reclaiming the landscape. Separately, Japan's nuclear regulator launched an investigation into alleged misconduct related to the Hamaoka nuclear power plant, describing the actions as a betrayal of nuclear safety and considering a restart of the plant's safety screening process.
In international energy and resource dealings, Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi was active on multiple fronts. The company began importing the rare metal gallium from Kazakhstan, a key material for semiconductors. In a strategic shift for its energy portfolio, Mitsubishi, alongside Shell, is exploring the sale of their stakes in a major Canadian liquefied natural gas project. Simultaneously, Mitsubishi agreed to its largest-ever acquisition, purchasing a US shale gas producer with assets in Texas and Louisiana for approximately $7.5 billion, a deal backed by Berkshire Hathaway. In a separate technological investment, OpenAI and SoftBank committed $1 billion to SB Energy to support a major push for building data centers and securing the power required for advanced artificial intelligence systems.
2 topics | 34 sources
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima plant, has restarted a reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata. This is the first time TEPCO has restarted a reactor since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The restart of the world's largest nuclear plant was briefly paused due to an alert, and one reactor was shut down again hours after restarting. TEPCO's chairman also renewed the company's commitment to decommission the Fukushima plant, as the company faces significant financial losses related to the cleanup.
Japan's nuclear regulator is investigating alleged misconduct related to the Hamaoka nuclear power plant, calling it an 'act of betrayal to nuclear safety.' The regulator is discussing the issue of improper data and is considering ordering a fresh safety screening for the plant as part of its response.
3 topics | 18 sources
Jan 16
Japanese trading company Mitsubishi buys US natural gas producer for $7.5 billionMitsubishi, a major Japanese trading house, is making its largest-ever acquisition by purchasing a US natural gas producer. The deal, valued at about $7.5 billion, involves buying shale gas assets located in Texas and Louisiana. Mitsubishi is one of several Japanese trading companies that have received investment from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.
Jan 12
OpenAI and SoftBank invest $1 billion in an energy and data center companyOpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and the Japanese investment giant SoftBank are putting $1 billion into a company called SB Energy. The investment is part of a major expansion of data center infrastructure, which is needed to power advanced artificial intelligence systems.