Japanese authorities on Wednesday proposed that the safety of nuclear plants aged 30 years or older be checked at least once a decade to obtain approval for continued operation.
The proposal from the Nuclear Regulation Authority came as the government seeks to scrap a rule that limits the operating life of reactors to a maximum of 60 years.
The regulator said the proposed mandatory safety checks should also be applied to nuclear reactors in use for more than 60 years.
It means that if the safety is confirmed, Japan may be able to authorize nuclear plants to run for 80 years as in the United States.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in August that Japan will use nuclear reactors that meet stringent safety standards as much as possible in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions and secure a stable electricity supply.
Under the current standards, which were introduced after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, Japan limits nuclear reactors' service period to 40 years in principle.
But if approved by the regulator, the 40-year period can be extended by up to 20 years.
As the government wants to rely more on nuclear power, it is hoping that the time when plants remain off-line for safety reviews will not be included to the 30-year mark.
But the regulator said the off-line time should be counted in the lifespan as equipment ages even when safety screenings are conducted.
Although the government pushes to reactivate idled reactors, public concern over nuclear safety is deep-seated in the country following the nuclear crisis triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.
