Tokyo: The upper house of the Japanese parliament on Wednesday passed a law to enable the extension of the operation of nuclear power plants (NPP) beyond 60 years as part of the country’s plan for the transition to green energy, according to the meeting’s broadcast.
In February, the Japan Atomic Energy Commission approved the government’s plan, allowing the country’s nuclear power plants to be operated for over 60 years. In late April, the bill was adopted by the lower house.
However, the proposal also provided for a number of requirements that should be met to pass the law. In particular, NPPs after 30 years of operation must undergo safety and equipment checks every 10 years.
This is the first step taken towards support for nuclear energy in Japan since the accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in 2011.
