Japan nuclear watchdog considering extending reactor life

Japanese nuclear regulators are considering revising a safety evaluation system to allow aging reactors to operate beyond the current 60-year limit, but the move is aimed at preventing safety lapses and is not motivated by government efforts to increase use of nuclear power, an official said on Monday.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority Commission, at the request of the Economy and Industry Ministry, has drafted a plan to scrap the 60-year limit and replace it with a system of potential extensions granted every 10 years after 30 years of operation.

That would be a major change from the current 40-year limit with a possible one-time extension of up to 20 years, a rule that was adopted under stricter safety standards set after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.