Japan enacts law for operating nuclear reactors beyond 60-yr limit

5 comments

1. Good.

   The reactors in Minnesota are the same design type as Fukushima daichii. Despite the tsunami, the design is really great and can be operational for 100 years. MN Monticello just hit 50 years and will be doubling their life expectancy, though from what I hear some parts require replacing and a 24-hr shutdown.

2. They are raising the age of everything.

   Pretty soon you will need to be 30 to buy a beer, 40 to drive a car and 100 to draw a pension.

3. This is… a weird comment section… Is it a bug maybe? Why is everyone but the first comment at 0 points…?

4. I wrote about this in one of my Econ classes, since I also have nuclear power plant experience.

   I’m kind of glad they are doing this, because from what I’ve read in it, I’m not sure when they start the clock on the original 40 years. Initial criticality? First connect to the grid? I’ve never been able to figure that out, and honestly, that’s only likely a year or twos difference anyway.
   But that many of their power plants have been idled for nearly a decade means that if the clock wasn’t paused, and it seems like it may not have been, then this extension will allow them to get their full use out of them before they go to decom. Also, it’ll allow the EPCOs to recoup some of the sunken costs of having these things sitting idle for over a decade.

5. Smart decision by Japan … as an island nation with limited natural resources that has to import a lot … safely extending the lifespan of clean, baseload nuclear energy makes a lot of sense for both its energy security and clean energy transition (along with adding renewables).