Uncertainty increases in Japan’s nuclear debate
Japan’s Takahama nuclear plant, which has been given approval to restart. (PA)
After a difficult start to 2016, Kansai Electric Power – Japan’s second-biggest nuclear energy provider – will have been relieved by news this week that it has gained approval for Takahama reactors one and two to operate for a further 20 years.
But this was no comfort to the Japanese public. The decision by Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority to extend the lives of the ageing reactors is unlikely to reassure a population that is already anxious about the Takahama plant’s safety. The reactors were built in the 1970s and are now able to continue to operate into the 2030s.