Key facts
- Japan's nuclear watchdog will integrate counterterrorism measure reviews earlier in the construction process for new nuclear plants.
- The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved a plan to change the deadline for installing specialized safety facilities.
- The five-year deadline for these facilities will now begin when a reactor starts commercial operation, rather than upon regulatory approval of the construction plan.
- This adjustment is intended to prevent operational suspensions for reactors facing imminent deadlines.
- A draft revision is expected in May, with full implementation anticipated by year-end.
Japan's nuclear watchdog is set to streamline the approval process for new nuclear plants by integrating counterterrorism measure reviews earlier in the construction timeline. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved a plan to adjust the deadline for installing specialized safety facilities, which are designed to remotely cool reactor vessels in the event of severe incidents like terrorist attacks.
Under the current regulations, operators must complete these specialized safety facilities within five years of receiving regulatory approval for a construction plan. However, the NRA's approved plan will shift the start of this five-year period to the commencement of a reactor's commercial operation. This change is expected to alleviate pressure on power suppliers facing tight deadlines, potentially preventing the suspension of operations for reactors like the No. 2 unit at Tohoku Electric Power's Onagawa plant, which was scheduled for suspension in December.
The NRA aims to present a draft revision of the related regulations in May, followed by a public comment period, with the revision anticipated to take effect by the end of the year. This adjustment is seen as a realistic approach to completing the necessary safety facilities without compromising their quality, according to NRA Chairman Shinsuke Yamanaka. The change will not apply to reactors that have already missed their deadlines, such as the No. 7 reactor at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant and Japan Atomic Power's Tokai No. 2 plant, which remain unable to operate until the facilities are completed.
Many nuclear power plants have struggled to meet the original deadline, leading to operational halts for some, including reactors at Kyushu Electric Power's Sendai plant and Kansai Electric Power's Mihama plant. The No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, which recently restarted, is expected to have its safety facility deadline extended to April 2031 from the current September 2029.