Japan’s Industry Ministry has proposed replacing aging nuclear reactors with new ones, marking a reversal from the country’s policy on nuclear power a decade after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
The ministry presented its guidelines on the use of nuclear reactors after gaining the understanding of the public, which appears to favor the move amid the rising energy cost and frequent power outages during peak seasons.
The guidelines call for the development of next-generation reactors and the extension of the lifespan of existing reactors beyond the current maximum of 60 years, up from the initial 40 years, Jiji Press reported.
While the new policy has been approved by the ministry’s Advisory Committee for Natural Resources, it will still require approval by the green transformation panel, which is led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida….