Kyushu Electric Power may pursue building new nuclear power reactors under its “Kyuden Group Strategic Vision 2035” released on May 19, 2025.
The company sees nuclear power as a key pillar in achieving carbon neutrality. In addition to aiming for the company to continue stable operation of its existing reactors and increasing their capacity factors, the document also says Kyushu EPCO will “consider development/installation of new, innovative reactors that incorporate novel safety mechanisms.”
“Nuclear power is important from both environmental and cost perspectives. We do not have any specific plans yet but it is important for us to be considering it as an energy company,” said Kyushu EPCO’s Senior Managing Executive Officer and next President Masaru Nishiyama at a press conference held the same day.
Nishiyama’s remarks align with Japan’s 7th Basic Energy Plan, according to which “instead of dichotomous discussions on whether to use renewable energy or
nuclear power, it is necessary to maximize the use of both.” The plan calls for next-generation reactors to be built on “sites of operators with nuclear power plants that have been determined to be decommissioned.”
Since the Fukushima disaster, the utility restarted four reactors including Genkai Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 (1.18GW each) and Sendai Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2 (890MW each). It is decommissioning Genkai Units 1 and 2. The company was also planning to build a 1.59GW Sendai Unit 3 but shelved those plans indefinitely, potentially making the project’s planned site available for the Kyushu TSO area’s first next-generation reactor.
