March-April , 2021 | @ green

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Japan ’ s success in making its energy system more resilient and sustainable is good , but reaching carbon-neutrality by 2050 requires quick action now

Nearly a decade after the 2011 earthquake and the resulting Fukushima nuclear accident , Japan has made real progress towards developing a more efficient , resilient and sustainable energy system .

It has embarked on major reforms of its energy market and diversified its energy mix . Energy-related CO2 emissions have fallen continuously since their peak in 2013 , thanks to the expansion of renewable energy , the restart of some nuclear power plants and energy efficiency gains .

By 2018 , Japan ’ s emissions had declined to a level last seen in 2009 . Reliance on fossil fuels has also declined but remains high at nearly 90 per cent of energy supply , making Japan among the most carbonintensive economies of IEA members .

“ Japan needs to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies , remove regulatory barriers and increase competition in its energy markets if it is to reach carbon-neutrality by 2050 ,” said Dr Fatih Birol , the IEA ’ s Executive Director , who launched the report at an online event with Shin Hosaka , Commissioner of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy at Japan ’ s Ministry for Economy , Trade and Industry .

“ I welcome Japan ’ s new Green Growth Strategy that puts emphasis on these priorities . The IEA is committed to supporting the government in these vital efforts .”

The new IEA report on Japan ’ s

country alone cannot provide long-lasting solutions to a collective problem .

Being aware of the need to tackle this issue regionally , with the full engagement and support of the ASEAN + 3 member States , IGES and ERIA will utilise their expertise to formulate regional policy recommendations by promoting circular economy as the key to sustainability in the region .

Turkey has made solid progress in recent years in improving the security and diversity of its energy supplies but should also pay close attention to the sustainability and longer-term carbon footprint of its energy sector .

Since the previous IEA in-depth review of Turkey in 2016 , market reform and energy security have remained the guiding principles of the government ’ s energy policy .

Rapid economic and population growth in the past two decades have not only driven strong growth in energy demand but also an increase in import dependency , especially for oil and gas .

As a result , Turkey has emphasised security of energy supply as one of the central pillars of its energy strategy .

This includes efforts to expand domestic oil and gas exploration and production – which received a significant boost from the recent discovery of the giant Sakarya gas field in the Black Sea – and to diversify oil and gas supply sources and infrastructure .

Turkey has also sought to strengthen the security of its energy supply by increasing production of renewable energy and reducing energy consumption through increased energy efficiency .

Auctions , in particular , have proven successful in driving down costs and increasing investments in renewables .

Aerial view of Shiodome , Tokyo , Japan . policies analysed its energy challenges and recommends possible solutions to help it achieve a secure , affordable and sustainable energy future .

It finds that Japan has made important strides in reforming its domestic electricity and natural gas markets . The increasing competition in these sectors is encouraging , but further reform is needed to achieve a true level playing field for all market participants .

Additional regulatory reforms will be important to encourage investments in zero-emissions electricity and to improve power system flexibility . The IEA also called for policymakers to ensure that the market regulator has sufficient powers and independence .

The report highlighted that Japan had seen continuous growth in renewables in the power sector , but that grid constraints had hampered investment in new projects and posed challenges to security of supply .

Creating a well-integrated national grid and taking steps to improve the operational efficiency of the electricity system would facilitate the integration of more renewables while

The planned commissioning of Turkey ’ s first nuclear power facility in 2023 will further diversify the country ’ s lowcarbon fuel mix .

“ Turkey has seen significant diversification of its energy mix in the past decade . In particular , bolstered by a supportive policy environment , renewable energy has grown impressively , led by hydropower , solar and wind ,” said Dr Fatih Birol , the IEA Executive Director , who launched the report recently with Dr Alparslan Bayraktar , Turkey ’ s Deputy Minister for Energy and Natural Resources .

Turkey ’ s renewable capacity grew by 50 per cent over the last five years . In 2019 , Turkey had the fifth highest level of new renewable capacity additions in Europe and the 15th highest in the world .

The IEA report noted that Turkey could achieve even stronger growth in renewables – especially solar , wind and geothermal – given its considerable resource endowment .

Its rich potential for expansion of renewables is not limited to electricity generation but is also relevant in the heating sector . Notably , Turkey uses only an estimated three per cent of its solar and 15 per cent of its onshore wind potential .

For Turkey to establish a modern and competitive economy , the report enhancing system resilience .

The recent cold snap in January led to very low reserve margins in Japan ’ s electricity systems . This event provided a reminder of the importance of regional interconnections and the need to have sufficient generation capacity .

The IEA welcomed the government ’ s recent announcement to phase out inefficient coal plants by 2030 . This will further improve the already high efficiency of Japan ’ s thermal power fleet .

Yet even efficient coal plants emit more CO2 than any other power generation source , and Japan ranks among the few IEA members that plan to add new coal capacity .

Japan should tackle emissions from those new coal power plants by retrofitting , repurposing them as flexibility sources or able to use other fuels , or through other measures to help them avoid becoming stranded assets .

The IEA report highlighted that Japan ’ s strong innovation and technology base could play a vital role in developing the technologies needed to achieve its 2050 energy and climate ambitions .

“ I applaud Japan for its leadership in advancing low-carbon hydrogen and carbon-recycling technologies , which will be crucial for decarbonising sectors where emissions are hardest to reduce , such as long-distance transport and heavy industry ,” Dr Birol said .

Reducing the costs of these technologies will be essential to promote their deployment at scale . Stronger reliance on market-based instruments is an additional option for Japan to reduce emissions costeffectively , foster innovation for low-carbon technologies and further increase Japan ’ s already high level of energy efficiency .

highlights that the government should pay close attention to the sustainability of its energy sector and its longer-term carbon footprint .

In particular , Turkey should reconsider the role of lignite-based power generation in a low-carbon future . It will be equally important to direct industrial policy to take into account the growing momentum behind global clean energy transitions . This can take the form of further promoting innovation in areas such as electric vehicles , energy storage and digital technologies .

Turkey has already made significant progress on liberalising energy markets in the last decade , successfully improving predictability and transparency in pricing .

However , additional reforms to make gas and electricity markets more competitive will help mobilise the investments needed by these sectors , including for clean energy technologies . “ Turkey has achieved impressive results in the past decade in liberalising its energy markets , boosting the role of renewables and improving its energy security . I hope this report will help inform Turkish policy makers ’ decisions as they look to navigate the next phase of the country ’ s energy development in the most cost-effective , secure and sustainable way possible ,” said Dr Birol .