Japan extends life of nuclear reactors beyond 60 years
Under the new system, the life of a reactor will, in principle, be extended beyond 60 years by no longer including offline periods for safety reviews or suspensions ordered by courts that are not due to the inappropriate actions of an operator.
The law replaces rules allowing the operation of reactors for up to 40 years, with extensions up to 60 years possible if approved by regulators. The rules were introduced in 2013 following the Fukushima nuclear disaster that was triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
The legislation was enacted in 2023 after the government led by then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shifted from the previous policy of reducing reliance on nuclear power, saying in 2022 that the country will fully utilize nuclear plants to cut carbon dioxide emissions and realize a stable energy supply amid Russia's war in Ukraine.
The No. 1 reactor at Kansai Electric Power Co's Takahama nuclear plant, the country's oldest unit that began operating in November 1974, could be granted permission to continue for 72 years as it was offline for about 12 years due to a safety assessment by the Nuclear Regulation Authority and other reasons.
The offline periods to be exempted from total service life do not include suspensions due to inappropriate actions by operators, such as when Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc was slapped with an effective ban on operating the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture for insufficient antiterrorism measures.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will assess the extension periods of nuclear reactors beyond 60 years.
The law also stipulates that operators of nuclear plants that have been running for 30 years or more must compile long-term plans for facility management at least every 10 years and obtain approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
The regulator will assess the soundness of nuclear reactors and the concrete used in such facilities as well as the feasibility of operators' plans to address parts shortages.
© KYODO
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
16 hours ago
- The Mainichi
East Japan city councilor told to stop using title online over anti-discrimination posts
KAWAGOE, Saitama -- A municipal assembly in Saitama Prefecture passed a resolution by majority vote urging an independent councilor to refrain from using her city council title when posting on social media, after her messages opposing discrimination against foreigners invited a flood of protests and other responses. Megumi Fukushima, 44, has been sharing information on social media while clearly identifying herself as an assembly member in Tsurugashima. The assembly said the deluge of opinions and protests directed at the municipal government in response to her posts had disrupted city operations. Fukushima has criticized the resolution, saying it "infringes on her freedom of speech." In her posts, Fukushima expressed opposition to discrimination against Kurdish residents, many of whom live in the city of Kawaguchi and other parts of Saitama Prefecture. The city reportedly received a high volume of inquiries and complaints about her posts between May and July, which put a burden on responding staff. At the end of July, the municipal government received an email threatening to bomb the city hall as well as to kidnap and kill Fukushima, prompting her to file a report with Saitama Prefectural Police. The situation also led to the cancellation of a mock city council session for elementary school students that had been scheduled for Aug. 3. Yoshihiro Uchino, chairman of the assembly, apparently tried to persuade Fukushima to stop using her title on social media, but she refused. In response, assembly member Motomitsu Yamanaka of the Komeito party and others proposed the resolution, which was adopted. Yamanaka told the Mainichi Shimbun, "The resolution is not meant to restrict free speech. We just want her to stop using her city council title when making remarks unrelated to city affairs, which end up affecting city operations." Fukushima, meanwhile, stated, "This is an unjust resolution and I have no intention of complying. It takes away my opportunity to speak freely."
The Mainichi
17 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Unfeasible Fukushima decommissioning schedule will cause residents anxiety
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO) has revised its schedule for decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, which was hit by meltdowns in the March 2011 nuclear disaster. The commencement of full-scale retrieval of the melted nuclear fuel has been delayed from the initially planned early 2030s to fiscal 2037 or later. Clinging indefinitely to an unfeasible decommissioning schedule is irresponsible and only heightens the anxiety of residents waiting for regional recovery. In the nuclear disaster, meltdowns occurred in the plant reactor Units 1 to 3, producing an estimated 880 metric tons of fuel debris. This debris is extremely radioactive and is said to present the most difficult hurdle in decommissioning work. In the No. 3 reactor, where the work will first begin, a special device inserted from above the reactor will be used to crush the solidified fuel debris into small pieces, which will then be removed from the side. However, it has emerged that it will take one to two years to verify whether this method is even feasible, and more than 10 years to reduce radiation levels inside the reactor building and demolish an adjacent structure to install the device. TEPCO has not revealed how long the retrieval work will continue, as it is unaware of the actual conditions inside the reactor, and the method of managing the debris to be removed from the reactor has not yet been determined. Regarding reactor Units 1 and 2, the company says it will start considering the removal process in the future. The stance of the Japanese government and TEPCO is difficult to understand. They maintain that the completion date of 2051 mentioned in the decommissioning roadmap will not be changed. However, even decommissioning a normal reactor takes about 30 years. If the removal of fuel debris goes slowly, completion of the work will only move further away. It is an unprecedented accident, with meltdowns occurring in three reactors at the same time. Even work to remove a tiny amount of debris proved difficult and was delayed by about three years. It would not be surprising if the plans do not go according to schedule. From the outset, experts had pointed out that completing the project by 2051 would be difficult. Some estimates calculate that it will take over 100 years. Residents have started returning to local municipalities, but there are still areas that are off-limits. The lack of a clear outlook for decommissioning will present an obstacle to regional recovery and the rebuilding of lives. The retrieval of fuel debris is the key to decommissioning, and the fact that it has faced major delays suggests there is a need to reconsider the schedule. The government and TEPCO must present plans that allow residents to foresee their future.
a day ago
Mihama Mayor Willing to Accept Survey for New Nuclear Reactor
News from Japan Society Aug 4, 2025 18:06 (JST) Mihama, Fukui Pref., Aug. 4 (Jiji Press)--Mihama Mayor Hideki Toshima on Monday indicated his willingness to accept Kansai Electric Power Co.'s planned survey for building a new reactor at its Mihama nuclear power plant in the central Japan town. At a meeting with senior officials of Kansai Electric, Toshima said that the town would accept the survey with the understanding of local communities. While the survey does not require the town's prior consent, the mayor requested that Kansai Electric continue to carefully explain the details of its survey plan. "Town residents' consensus is that they want any plans to proceed while placing the top priority on safety," he emphasized. In response, Hitoshi Mizuta, head of Kansai Electric's nuclear operations headquarters, vowed to move forward while securing the understanding of local residents. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
