Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has given the green light to Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) to continue operating the 780 MW Takahama-1 nuclear reactor for the next 10 years, making it the first reactor in Japan to get approval to operate beyond 50 years. KEPCO had submitted its application to extend operations at Takahama-1 in November 2023.
Takahama-1 is the oldest operating reactor in Japan; it was commissioned in 1974, mothballed after the 2011 Fukushima accident, and restarted by KEPCO in August 2023. The 3.2 GW Takahama power plant, located in central Japan's Fukui Prefecture, has three other reactors. Unit 2 (780 MW, commissioned in 1975) was restarted in September 2023 after also being mothballed. Units 3 and 4, both rated 830 MW and commissioned in 1985, are operational.
In May 2024, the NRA approved the life extension for 20 years of Units 3 and 4 at the Takahama nuclear plant until 2045. In June 2023, the Japanese parliament enacted a law to allow nuclear reactors in Japan to operate beyond their current limit of 60 years, in order to help cut greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a sufficient energy supply for the country.
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