Kansai Electric to operate Mihama-3 reactor until 2036

Safety improvement works amount to US$1.63b.

Enerdata reported that Japanese power generation company Kansai Electric Power has decided to continue operating its 780 MW Mihama-3 nuclear reactor until 60 years, i.e. until 2036, after having secured approval from Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) to extend the operational lifespan beyond 40 years in November 2016.

The company has released a schedule for safety improvement works, estimated at US$1.63b and due to be completed by late January 2020, to allow the unit operate for another 20 years.

Mihama-3 was commissioned in 1976 but has been offline since the Fukushima disaster in March 2011.

This story was originally published by Enerdata.