Japan enacts law to extend operating period of nuclear plants beyond 60 yrs

The Japanese parliament has enacted legislation to allow nuclear reactors in the country to be operated beyond the current limit of 60 years in a push to cut carbon emissions and ensure stable electricity supplies.

The newly approved bill enacted on Wednesday allows nuclear plants to operate for longer than 60 years if approved by the Industry Minister and is subject to regular inspections by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

After the 2011 earthquake-triggered tsunami disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Japan introduced stricter safety protocols that limit the operating life of nuclear reactors to 40 years in principle, which can be extended to up to 60 years.