ENERGY

Japan must allow the construction of new nuclear power reactors and the lifetime of the existing ones must be extended. This is according to a new proposal from the Japanese government.

In Japan, the issue of nuclear power has been widely discussed since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In March 2011, a tsunami triggered three meltdowns and hundreds of thousands of residents in the immediate area were evacuated. After this, all of the country’s reactors were shut down temporarily – during the summer of 2022, 10 out of 33 reactors were back in operation.

In hopes of reaching the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, an advisory panel has been discussing changes to Japan’s energy policy since July 2022. The new line is now to maximize the use of already existing reactors by restarting as many as possible and being able to extend the life of these past today’s 60-year limit.

Furthermore, the government has also said that the country will develop new advanced reactors to replace 20 reactors that are to be decommissioned. Shortly, the country’s parliament will take a position on a bill.

A new permit must be applied for every ten years

According to rules that came into effect in 2013, Japanese reactors have a nominal operating period of 40 years – however, it can be extended once by a maximum of 20 years. The new bill will allow reactors to be in use longer than the total of 60 years currently allowed by the rules.

According to the new law, those who operate nuclear power plants that have been in use for more than 30 years must have long-term management plans and apply for new approval every ten years. According to the bill, the time that reactors have been shut down can be deducted from the total lifetime.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a statement in connection with an energy meeting this summer that the world situation also affects Japanese energy policy.

– Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the world’s energy landscape and Japan needs to take into account future crisis scenarios, he said.

Furthermore, Japan has not yet resolved the issue of final disposal for the radioactive nuclear waste from the reactors. However, the new bill states that responsibility for this lies with the government.