Photo/Illutration Fukui Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto at an April 28 news conference at which he announced he would approve resumption of operations at three aging nuclear reactors (Kengo Yamada)

FUKUI--Kansai Electric Power Co. has been given the green light to resume operations of three nuclear reactors more than 40 years old, a first under new safety regulations in place since 2013.

Fukui Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto on April 28 told reporters he had given his consent to resume operations at the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the Takahama nuclear plant and the No. 3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear plant.

“After confirming the contents presented by the central government and the plant operator as well as the views of Takahama town, Mihama town and the prefectural assembly, I have consented based on a comprehensive assessment,” Sugimoto said at a news conference.

The municipal assemblies and mayors of the host municipalities as well as the Fukui prefectural assembly have all approved the resumption of operations, leaving Sugimoto as the final official whose approval was required.

Between 44 and 46 years have passed since the three reactors first went online.

Kansai Electric is seeking to resume operations by the end of May. All reactors have been offline since the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011.

However, the three reactors will likely not be operating for long.

Under new safety guidelines introduced by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, anti-terrorism measures are now required before nuclear plants can continue operating.

But on April 22, Kansai Electric announced that it would be unable to meet the June 9 deadline for completing anti-terrorism measures at the Takahama reactors. The deadline for the Mihama reactor is in October so there is the possibility that all reactors will again have to halt operations within a few months.

A 40-year shelf life was introduced under the 2013 revision of the law regulating nuclear plants, with a single 20-year extension possible if the NRA granted its approval.

The Tokai No. 2 reactor, operated by Japan Atomic Power Co., has also received approval to resume operations at a plant in operation for more than 40 years, but there is no telling when operations can resume there.

Within the next five years, another five reactors will also reach 40 years of operations.

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