Japan to Restart Nuclear Power Plant Over 40 Years Old

Three Nuclear Power Plants in Fukui Prefecture Facing Korea's East Sea
May Restart as Early as May
First Case of Reactivating Nuclear Plants Over 40 Years Old in Japan

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] A nuclear power plant in Japan that has been in operation for over 40 years is set to be restarted. This is the first time a nuclear power plant older than 40 years has been restarted, which is interpreted as a result of the Suga Yoshihide administration's 'decarbonization and coal phase-out' policy.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 28th, Sugimoto Tatsuji, governor of Fukui Prefecture, announced at a press conference, "After comprehensive review, we have decided to restart." The plan is to restart as early as May.

Previously, residents of the nuclear power plant areas, Takahama Town and Mihama Town, had already agreed to the restart in February, so with Governor Sugimoto's decision, the restart is effectively confirmed.

This marks the first case in Japan where a nuclear power plant older than 40 years is being restarted nationwide.

The nuclear power plants in question are three reactors in Fukui Prefecture: Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, which began operation on November 14, 1974; Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2, which started operation on November 14, 1975; and Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, which began operation on December 1, 1976. All these plants are aged between 44 and 46 years since their initial operation.

These three nuclear power plants, owned by Kansai Electric Power Company, have been shut down since before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Fukui Prefecture, where these plants are located, borders the East Sea of Korea.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Japanese government revised the Reactor Regulation Act in 2013, setting the operational period in principle to 40 years, with the possibility of extension up to 20 years only if approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Despite safety concerns, the decision to restart the nuclear power plants is interpreted as reflecting the energy policy stance of the Suga Cabinet. The Japanese government plans to significantly reduce thermal power generation and expand electricity generation through renewable energy and nuclear power to achieve a decarbonized society by 2050. To this end, it aims to increase the share of nuclear power from the current 6% to 20-22% within 10 years. It also plans to sequentially restart 24 reactors that have been shut down for 10 years out of a total of 54 reactors.

Economic reasons also appear to have influenced the decision to restart these aged nuclear power plants. About 40% of the local population is employed in nuclear power-related jobs, and 60% of tax revenue comes from nuclear power. The Japanese government provides subsidies of 2.5 billion yen (approximately 25.6 billion KRW) per power plant when restarting nuclear power plants older than 40 years.

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kajiyama reiterated the provision of subsidies up to 2.5 billion yen per power plant and stated, "We will continuously utilize nuclear power generation."

President Morimoto emphasized, "We will take the lead in improving the safety of nuclear power."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.