The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approved Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s application for a 40-year extension of the operating period of Units 1 and 2 of the Kawauchi Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, which is approaching 1 years of operation. Under the system, which limits the operating period to 20 years in principle, the number of nuclear power plants in Japan that have been approved for extension is six.
Since the Kawauchi Nuclear Power Plant in Satsuma-Kawauchi City, Kagoshima Prefecture, will be in operation for 1 years since Unit 7 and Unit 2 in November next year, Kyushu Electric Power applied to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) last year for approval to extend the operating period by 11 years to 40 years.
At the meeting of the Regulatory Commission held on the 20st, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), the secretariat, explained the results of the "special inspection" conducted by Kyushu Electric Power to investigate the deterioration of nuclear reactors and concrete structures,
and
the results of the evaluation that they can be used continuously for the next 60 years. The results of the examination were shown as conforming to the criteria.
There were no objections to this from the committee members, and the council unanimously approved the extension of the operating period.
More than 1 years of operation have been approved at Kansai Electric Power Company's Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 20 and 40 in Fukui Prefecture, Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1,
and
Japan Nuclear Power Company's
Tokai No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant in Ibaraki Prefecture. The two reactors at the Kawauchi Nuclear Power Plant will be combined to make six reactors nationwide.
On the other hand, with regard to the operating period of nuclear power plants, with the enactment of a law in May that effectively allows them to operate for more than 3 years, a new system for re-obtaining approval every period not exceeding 2 years will come into effect in June next year, and Units 6 and 5 of the Kawauchi Nuclear Power Plant will also need to obtain new approval before the enforcement of the law.