File photo taken on Nov. 12, 2011 shows the exterior of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. (Xinhua)
Japan's cabinet formally adopted a policy that will allow the operation of nuclear reactors beyond the current 60-year limit, despite criticism and safety concerns.
TOKYO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday officially endorsed a policy permitting nuclear reactors to be operated beyond their 60-year maximum lifespan and for new reactors to be built under the government's broader "green transformation" policy.
In a bid to secure a stable energy supply and cut carbon emissions, the government, through the policy, envisions building next-generation nuclear plants, and upgrading some of Japan's existing aging reactors.
The new policy will also effectively extend the lifespan of some of the aged reactors beyond the maximum of 60 years, despite safety concerns and criticism from within Japan's nuclear watchdog and members of the public.
The government under the new policy will use the period that the country's nuclear reactors have been offline for safety inspections by Japan's nuclear regulator, the majority in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, as a means to extend the operational life of the aged reactors.
After the 2011 earthquake-triggered tsunami disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which led to the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986, the operational lifespan of Japan's nuclear reactors was limited to 40 years, under much stricter safety protocols.
File photo taken on Oct. 12, 2017 shows huge tanks that store contaminated radioactive wastewater in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. (Xinhua)
However, reactor's lifespan can be extended by a further 20 years, provided safety upgrades are implemented and stricter safety tests by regulators are passed.
Akira Ishiwatari, a member of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) who is in charge of earthquake and tsunami assessment, has spoken out about extending the lifespan of old reactors.
He said on Wednesday that scrapping the limit on the plant service period cannot be considered a change that would improve safety.
Ishiwatari also said that the plan allows the operation period to be extended by the amount of time it has taken to carry out inspections, and that the more time it takes to conduct inspections, the older the plants will get, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported.
The relevant bills to implement the new policy will be submitted to parliament during the ongoing session, but following the government after the Fukushima crisis vowing not to build new or replace old reactors, opposition to the policy is likely to be vociferous.■
