Japan nuclear plants given extension to build antiterrorism facilities

The Nuclear Regulation Authority in Japan has announced it will revise regulations and extend the deadline for nuclear power plants to build antiterrorism facilities, shifting the five-year start date to when operations begin, rather than when the plants are approved for construction. This easing of restrictions will allow the No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi Prefecture to continue operating through December 2029, instead of being scheduled to shut down by August 2028 due to a failed construction deadline.

While 12 nuclear plants currently have antiterrorism facilities, only the No. 4 unit at the Oi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture managed to implement them within the original time limit. The watchdog received criticism for drafting the revision in June, with concerns that the facilities should be completed before the nuclear plants start operating and that the authority was bowing to power companies' demands.

The amendment will apply to plants that haven't met their deadlines yet. The No. 6 unit at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture will now have its deadline extended from September 2029 to April 2031, while the No. 2 unit at the Shimane plant will have its deadline pushed back from August 2028 to January 2030. Antiterrorism facilities, which include a control room, pumps, and other equipment, were mandated after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster to handle potential threats like targeted aerial attacks.

Plants that fail to construct these facilities by the extended deadline would have been shut down regardless of whether they were restarted.