TOKYO, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Japan's nuclear regulator approved Wednesday Kansai Electric Power Co.'s management plan to continue operating two nuclear reactors in Fukui Prefecture for up to 40 years from the start of operations.
The No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the plant in the town of Oi, Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, both began operations over 30 years ago. Following the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approval, they are now allowed to operate for up to 40 years.
It was the first time for the NRA to approve a long-term facility management plan under a regulatory system based on a new law on green transformation and power sources that was enacted in May 2023.
Under the law, operators must draw up management plans according to reactor deterioration levels and undergo NRA screenings every 10 years after reactors mark 30 years of operation.
Nuclear power plants that have been in operation for more than 30 years will not be allowed to operate without the approval of a management plan after next June when the new system comes into full effect.
By not counting periods of suspension, including due to the NRA screenings, in reactors' life spans, the law effectively allows reactors to operate for longer than 60 years. ■
