Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has proposed to extend the maximum operating life of nuclear reactors beyond the current 60 years through additional safety inspections. Under the new proposal, reactors in operation for 30 years or more will have to undergo the degradation safety tests every decade to continue operating, thus possibly beyond the 60-year limit. The NRA is expected to reflect the change in a draft revision of the Nuclear Reactor Regulation Law which will be submitted by the end of 2022.
Under current rules introduced after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, the operating life of a nuclear reactor is 40 years, in principle. However, reactors and their vessels that pass the NRA’s degradation inspections can operate for an additional 20 years. The extension is allowed only once, so reactors at 60 years old must be decommissioned.
In July and August 2022, Japan announced its intention to restart 4 nuclear reactors in 2022 and up to 17 nuclear plants from 2023, as well as to develop and build next-generation nuclear power plants. It is Japan’s bid to secure power supply, cope with rising prices and help the country reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This represents a major shift in Japan’s energy policy since the Fukushima accident in 2011.
Japan’s reliance on nuclear power was reduced following the Fukushima accident, dropping from 25% of the power mix in 2010 to 1% in 2015, and back to 5% in 2021. Before the accident, there were 54 reactors spread over 17 power plants (49 GW in 2010 against 33 GW in 2021).
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