Japan Govt to Submit Bill to Extend Nuclear Reactor Life Span

Jiji Press

17:25 JST, January 25, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The government is slated to submit in late February a bill to allow nuclear reactors to be operated for effectively over 60 years, which was approved by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s related division on Tuesday.

The bill on power sources for green transformation and decarbonization will also include financial aid for the development of power grids to transfer electricity generated with renewable energy sources to major cities.

Currently, the life span of nuclear reactors in the country is limited to 40 years in principle and 60 years at the longest.

The bill will allow nuclear reactors to continue to operate after 60 years and later by not counting periods when they are offline for safety screenings or other reasons.

The bill will also strengthen safety regulations for nuclear reactors, demanding that operators draw up facility management plans every 10 years or more frequently after their reactors pass 30 years in operation, and obtain approval for the plans from the Nuclear Regulation Authority.