Made in China

In the energy world, few events in recent years have as pivotal, or as dramatic a repercussion as the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Not only did the tsunami coupled with poor planning cripple Japan’s nuclear industry, but it also created hundreds of billions of dollars worth of damages; undoubtedly it is still too early to even comprehend the total cost of the tragedy.

The Fukushima meltdown was a collapse on so many levels. Whether it was the poor planning and design courtesy of GE or the faulty diligence and preparation by the operational staff, there were so many levels of accountability that dropped the due diligence and created a situation of dire consequences.

With that said, it is hard to find anything positive that emerged from the Fukushima disaster. Beyond merely the Japanese government’s reactionary restraints imposed after the disaster, it does not appear as though there were any significant positive recourse.

However, for some energy economies, that is not the case.    

Japan’s longtime neighbor and perennial rival, China, has a slightly different view on the Fukushima disaster.

Although, by no means, could anyone in China be happy about the meltdown, the disaster has changed the way many people both within China, and throughout the globe, view the traditional nuclear power houses.

First off, there is the issue of manufacturers. Typically, in years past, Nuclear Power Plants have been dominated by GE and its go to design models. Yet, with the Fukushima meltdown so dependent upon faulty and not well conceived design, it has left many questions who is the dominant name in Nuclear Energy at this time.

It would seem as is Westinghouse, a subsidiary of Toshiba, has risen to the occasion.

Additionally, the move away from Nuclear Energy in Japan has created a large energy void in the east Asian energy market. As such, there is now room for the Chinese nuclear providers to step up and fill the gap.

The situation is made especially dire for Japan who has incredibly limited energy resources and simply cannot support the type of coal driven electricity generation that characterized most of central and western China’s energy production powerhouse.

Now, Japan will be forced to import and even larger amount of its energy from its, increasingly hegemonic neighbor, China.

Fukushima may have been the result of only one situation, but it is an amazing example of how the designs and plans of a couple engineers may have influenced the path of geopolitical politics for years to come. Only time will tell if the Fukushima melt down has paved the way for China’s rise. We shall see.

For more on this topic check out Forbe’s coverage at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2012/07/02/fukushima-boosts-chinas-domestic-nuclear-reactor-industry/

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