Japan to limit life of nuclear reactors

After the crisis at Tokyo Electric’s Fukushima plant, Japanese regulators have announced mandatory shutdowns for the nation’s nuclear power plants when they reach 40 years of operation.

Until this new legislation, there was no mandatory retirement age for Japanese reactors. Several were built in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, including the Fukushima plants that were damaged by last spring’s tsunami. Although there haven’t been any conclusive reports linking the Fukushima plant’s age with the disaster, Japanese media have reported that the plant had cracks in pipes and walls.

The new rule could lead Japan to scrap 36 reactors by 2030, in addition to the six Fukushima units that have already been shut down. Energy experts are concerned that taking so many plants off the grid will leave Japan with inadequate power supplies.

In the U.S., the Nuclear Regulatory Commission traditionally grants 40-year licenses for reactors, although operators are allowed to request multiple 20-year extensions.  Nearly two-thirds of American nuclear plants have received such extensions.