TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will utilize nuclear power as much as possible along with renewable energy, a draft government plan showed Tuesday, departing from its earlier resolve to minimize dependence on atomic energy following the 2011 Fukushima crisis.

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry presented the draft basic energy plan, a medium- to long-term policy guideline, to a meeting of experts. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet is expected to approve the energy plan by around February.

It is estimated that nuclear power will account for around 20 percent of the country's total energy output in fiscal 2040, the same level as the fiscal 2030 target of 20 to 22 percent, according to ministry projections. It is based on the assumption that around 30 reactors, or the majority of existing ones, will be restarted.

Since electricity demand is expected to rise further due to the prevalence of artificial intelligence and data centers, among other reasons, the government aims to meet high demand by easing requirements for rebuilding nuclear plants.

As part of such efforts, utilities will be able to replace reactors destined for decommissioning with next-generation reactors on the premises of any of their plants, according to the draft.

The proportion of renewable energy for fiscal 2040 is proposed to be around 40 to 50 percent, almost double fiscal 2023's 22.9 percent, while thermal power should account for around 30 to 40 percent, a sharp drop from the current share of around 70 percent.

The ministry left a certain leeway in the outlook for electricity supply and demand for fiscal 2040, as it is difficult to make a precise prediction given the complexity of technological innovations.

While the government aims to advance decarbonization and secure a stable power supply at the same time in accordance with its target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, decarbonization efforts are expected to drive the cost of electricity generation higher.

The cost is expected to be considerably higher in 2040 due to the necessity of auxiliary services along with the increase of renewables, known for output fluctuation affected by weather conditions, according to the ministry.

Combined with other necessary measures, adjustment procedures to match energy input and output, such as through curtailment of thermal generation and the operation of pumped-storage hydropower, could push the cost of nuclear power generation about 1.5-fold above the estimated cost for 2030, according to the ministry.

The current basic energy plan, approved by the Cabinet in 2021, said the government will give top priority to maximizing renewable energy use. But the draft of the new guideline dropped the expression.