Government support for the export of nuclear power plants after Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power accident

Depending on the surge of a global evaluation for the nuclear power generation, our country strengthened government support for the export of nuclear power plants. However, under the influence of a Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, the internal and external situation surrounding nuclear power has been changing. Should our country continue government support for the nuclear power plant export according to this? This report outlined the world trend around nuclear power before the Fukushima accident, surveyed merits and problems of the nuclear power plant export, and introduced what kind of export aid package the government took. And then, it showed the situation change after the Fukushima accident and the point at issue on thinking about the way of the government support. The Fukushima accident raised concern for the safety of the nuclear power plant and might have a big influence on the construction trend of the world nuclear power plant in the future. The criticism to conventional government support for the nuclear power plant export has risen, too. However, the role of government support for the nuclear power plant export was not the problem that should be discussed only by the side of safety and the economy. The nuclear power plant export carried an international contribution, reinforcement of the thickness of a technique and the talented person of the nuclear power industry, and a role such as the contribution to economic growth in medium-and-long term energy policy and nuclear energy policy until now. It may be said that we were asked how was placed nuclear power plant export again while these policies were reviewed after the Fukushima accident. (T. Tanaka)