The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency plans to conclude that the Mihama nuclear power plant's No. 2 reactor in Fukui Prefecture is safe enough to operate beyond 40 years, the period of operation that requires safety assessments, sources said Wednesday.
It would be the first time since the Fukushima disaster last year for NISA to give such permission to a reactor.
However, the fate of reactors designated as operable beyond 40 years will be reconsidered once a new nuclear regulatory body is launched to replace NISA as part of efforts to enhance nuclear regulations. The government has also submitted a bill to revise the law regulating reactors that would set a 40-year lifespan for reactors.