TOKYO — A Japanese court ruled Tuesday that a 45-year-old nuclear reactor in central Japan can continue to operate, rejecting demands by residents that it be suspended because of safety risks, a decision supportive of the government’s push for greater use of nuclear energy because of possible global fuel shortages and the country’s pledge to reduce carbon emissions.
The Osaka District Court’s decision came just days before Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet is expected to approve a new nuclear energy policy that would accelerate restarts of reactors that were idled after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster and extend the operating life of aging reactors.
The Economy and Industry Ministry has drafted a plan to allow extensions every 10 years for reactors after 30 years of operation, while also permitting utilities to subtract offline periods in calculating reactors’ operational life beyond the current 60-year limit.
Tuesday’s ruling was the first on the safety of reactors that have operated more than 40 years.
Chief Judge Naoya Inoue said the operator of the Mihama No. 3 reactor, Kansai Electric Power Co., has taken adequate steps to prevent equipment degradation to fulfil the requirements of the Nuclear Regulation Authority and obtain an operational permit. The ruling said the reactor’s age doesn’t require more stringent safety standards than normal.