Japan's parliament has passed legislation allowing the country's nuclear power operators to continue using reactors beyond their maximum lifespan of 60 years, by excluding the time spent having increased safety scrutiny in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The green transformation (GX) decarbonisation power supply bill passed into law on 31 May and will mostly come into force on 1 April 2024. The legislation is aimed at ensuring stable electricity supplies and driving the use of non-fossil fuel energy, such as nuclear and renewables.
Under the new law, Japan will still have to maintain the current 40-year nuclear lifespan with a one-time option to extend this by 20 years. But the lifespan of reactors will be effectively extended by separating from the original service life their off line periods, such as those for safety inspections and legal injunctions. Any extension will depend on approval from the trade and industry minister, while securing safety confirmation from the country's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA).
Japanese nuclear power operators will be mandated to secure permission from the NRA for their safety checks on an ageing reactor every 10 years or less after its 30-year operating period is over. The operators will also have to pay the Nuclear Reprocessing Organisation of Japan for scrapping reactors.
Japan's energy policy, in line with its target of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 46pc by its 2030-31 fiscal year from 2013-14 levels, assumes nuclear will make up 20-22pc of its power mix. With the share of nuclear power at just 8pc in 2021-22, the country will need to bring many more reactors back on line over the next seven years.
Japan is accelerating its decarbonisation efforts to achieve a net zero emission goal by 2050. The GX promotion bill also passed into law on 12 May. It allows the government to secure funds by issuing energy transition bonds along with its carbon pricing scheme.
