Japan Mulls Building New Nuclear Plants in Policy U-Turn, Reports Say

Kishida announced the controversial move that he said would help his country meet its 2050 decarbonization goals during a conference on industrial transformation, according to Japanese Kyodo news agency. Kishida gave regulators until the end of the year to come up with a strategy.

Japan limited the lifespan of existing nuclear plants to 40 years following the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima plant. The new policy may also allow extending their operational period by 20 years after safety screening and upgrades.

Most of Japan's nuclear power reactors were suspended for safety checks under new standards after the Fukushima disaster. Seventeen reactors have since passed safety screenings and 10 are already operational. The government is considering bringing another seven reactors back online early next year to address possible energy shortages.