TOKYO, May 31 (Japan Today) - Japan on Wednesday passed a law allowing nuclear reactors to operate beyond 60 years, as it tries to reinvigorate the sector to meet energy challenges and climate targets.

The bill intends to "establish an electricity supply system that will achieve a carbon-free society", a Diet spokesman told AFP.

Under the new rules, the age cap technically remains 60 years but exceptions are allowed for reactors that have had to pause operations for "unforeseeable" reasons.

Those might include changes to safety guidelines, or provisional injunctions by a court.

The new rules allow operators to exclude periods of shutdown when calculating the total years of operation.

However, operators require approval from Japan's nuclear safety watchdog for the exemption, and the law also includes measures intended to strengthen safety checks at aging reactors. ...continue reading