Japan calls for energy supply overhaul in fiscal 2025 white paper
The government plans to reinforce fossil fuel supplies while expanding nuclear power and domestic renewable energy use.
Japan’s Cabinet has adopted its fiscal 2025 energy white paper, calling for fundamental changes to how the country supplies and uses energy to prepare for future emergencies. The government said recent disruptions had again exposed weaknesses in the system.
The document sets out plans to step up efforts to ensure reliable fossil fuel supplies alongside faster use of nuclear power and renewable energy produced domestically.
According to the government, Japan has fewer options for obtaining crude oil, while its reliance on Middle Eastern oil has increased again in recent years. The white paper linked those developments to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and economic expansion in oil-producing Asian countries. It also identified imbalances in petroleum product supplies.
The government said Japan had been the first country to decide on releasing petroleum reserves in response to worsening conditions in the Middle East. It credited that decision with helping stabilize supplies at home and abroad.
Cabinet approval normally comes around June, but the government said the deteriorating Middle East situation had delayed preparation of the document.
