News - full story

FORTY years after it first provided power to the Japanese grid, the country’s oldest nuclear power reactor is also the first to gain local regulatory approval to extend its operating life.

On the western coast of Japan’s main Honshu Island, Japan Atomic Power Company’s 341 MW Tsuruga-1 reactor, which started commercial operation in 1970, has been given a six-year life extension. 

“I have no hesitation in extending its operations if the reactor is safe,” says Kazuharu Kawase, Tsuruga’s mayor.

Japco also operates the 1160 MW Tsuruga-2 nuclear plant, which was commissioned in 1987, at Tsuruga alongside two coal-fired plants with a total capacity of 1200 MW. Last year the company signaled a postponement of the Tsuruga-1 shutdown as guidelines for earthquake resistant construction which were introduced in 2006 caused ongoing delays in planning for two new nuclear units at the site. It now expects construction of the 1538 MW advanced pressurised water reactors to begin in October this year with commercial operation of Tsuruga-3 scheduled for March 2016 and Tsuruga-4 a year later.

It is understood that a final approval for the extension is also required from the Fukui prefectural government. Subject to that decision, Tsuruga-1 would be the country’s first power reactor to operate beyond 40 years while a further eight Japanese power reactors will reach the 40-year milestone by 2015.