Japan's nuclear watchdog on Wednesday approved anti-disaster safety measures at a new facility to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel prior for reprocessing.
With the green light, Recyclable-Fuel Storage Co., 80 percent owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. and the rest by Japan Atomic Power Co., aims to start operating the storage facility in Aomori Prefecture from the start of the next fiscal year in April.
The storage facility in Mutsu is the only one in Japan not located on the premises of a nuclear power plant and is designed to store spent fuel for up to 50 years.