Kyushu Electric Applies To Extend Operation Of Sendai Nuclear Plant Reactors
Kyushu Electric Power Company has applied to extend the operation of two aging reactors for another 20 years at its Sendai Nuclear Power Station in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.
The operational life span of nuclear reactors in Japan has been limited to 40 years in principle since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011.
The No.1 reactor at the Sendai plant will be 40 years old in July 2024, and the No.2 reactor will reach that age in November 2025.
But their operation could be extended by up to 20 years if they pass screening by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Kyushu Electric applied for screening on Wednesday, the day it completed a special inspection of the reactors.
The utility says it confirmed that the reactors, their containment vessels and other installations could withstand 60 years of operation.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority has so far approved the extended operation of four reactors nationwide, including two at Kansai Electric's Takahama plant.
The Kagoshima prefectural government's panel of experts has been verifying the feasibility of extending the lifespan of the reactors at the Sendai plant.
Some local citizens' groups and others oppose the extension of their operation.