Potential Copper Shortages Loom: Demand-Side Measures Needed

The International Copper Study Group (ICSG) forecasts that this year will see a 162,000-ton copper surplus globally, and a 94,000-ton surplus in 2025. Nevertheless, the U.S. and the EU classify coppe...

The 5DS of Critical Raw Materials in Japan

On June 7, the energy agency (ANRE) made a startling admission about Japan’s vulnerability in critical raw materials. A mere three years after trumpeting a heightened focus on boosting the nation’s s...

How EVs Can Help Build Reliability Into the Grid

Japan increasingly seeks ways to use electric vehicles for purposes other than driving. The pace of EV adoption has been slow so far, but government task forces are exploring how to optimize the pote...

CO2 Exports in APAC: Japan’s Approval of a Key Amendment to The London Protocol

Last month the Diet approved the 2009 Amendment to the London Protocol that is relevant to the international shipment of CO2. This move is a critical step to facilitate Japan exporting captured CO2 f...

How Sinking Auction-Based Power Rates Are Impacting PV Generators in Japan

Japan’s national strategy calls for more solar energy in the nation’s power mix. But many of the smaller businesses that helped build the sector from scratch a decade ago say the returns are no longe...