Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday approved an extension of the operating lifetimes of two reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s Sendai nuclear power plant nearing 40 years since the start of operation.
The approval will allow the company to extend the lifetimes of the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, for 20 years in principle.
They will be the fifth and sixth reactors in Japan allowed to operate beyond the basic lifetime of 40 years. Their predecessors are Kansai Electric Power Co.’s No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Takahama plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, the same company’s No. 3 reactor at the Mihama plant also in Fukui and Japan Atomic Power Co.’s Tokai No. 2 plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.
The Sendai plant’s No. 1 reactor will mark its 40th anniversary in July next year, and the No. 2 reactor in November 2025.
In October last year, Kyushu Electric applied for the extension after conducting special inspections, confident that it can continue to operate the reactors safely.
Source: Nippon.com