Photo/Illutration The No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Kyushu Electric Power Co. on Oct. 12 applied for a 20-year extension on the operating life of its No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The application to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) was the first since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in August indicated consideration would be given to extending the operating life of nuclear plants from the current 40 years, in principle. 

The two reactors at the Sendai plant will reach 40 years since the start of operations between 2024 and 2025.

Since October 2021, Kyushu Electric Power has been conducting a special investigation into the deterioration of equipment with an eye toward extending the operating life of the reactors.

At an Oct. 12 news conference, a company official explained that no irregularities were found in the reactor vessels.

After the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011, a legal change was made to, in principle, limit operations at nuclear plants to 40 years.

But an extension of 20 years is possible if the NRA grants approval.

So far, four reactors have received such approval--the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Takahama plant, the No. 3 reactor at Kansai Electric’s Mihama plant and the Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant operated by Japan Atomic Power Co. in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Kansai Electric’s three reactors are all in Fukui Prefecture. The Mihama reactor resumed operations in June 2021.

Special inspections are being carried out at the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors of the Takahama plant. Those reactors have been operating for 37 years.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is considering a legal revision to allow for an extension of operating life to secure a stable electricity supply.

(This article was written by Takuro Yamano and Ryo Sasaki.)

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