「停止期間除外」を大筋了承　原発６０年超運転へ―建て替えに次世代原発・経産省会議

　経済産業省は２８日、総合資源エネルギー調査会（経産相の諮問機関）の有識者会議を開いた。原発の６０年超の運転を可能にする制度改正で、運転期間から安全審査などにより停止していた期間を除く案が大筋で了承された。経産省は所管する電気事業法に規定を盛り込み、来年の通常国会に改正法案提出を目指す。
　経産省は有識者会議で、今後の原子力政策の方向性をまとめた行動計画の原案を提示。次世代型原発の建設については、まずは廃炉決定した原発の建て替えを対象とすると明記した。
　原発の運転期間は、２０１１年の東京電力福島第１原発事故後に原子炉等規制法が改正され、原則４０年、原子力規制委員会の認可で１回に限り最長２０年延長できると定められた。しかし、「最長６０年」では稼働原発が減少し続けるため、電力の安定供給や脱炭素化には、既存原発の最大限の活用が必要と判断。東電福島原発事故後の原子力政策を大きく転換する。（2022/11/28-12:47）

An experts panel under a council advising Japan's industry minister broadly approved a plan Monday to extend the operating life of nuclear power reactors beyond the current 60-year limit, by not counting suspension periods, such as for safety screenings, in the total length of time.
   The new rule will be included in the electricity business law. The industry ministry plans to submit a bill to revise the law to next year's regular session of the Diet, Japan's parliament.
   At the day's meeting of the experts panel under the advisory committee for natural resources and energy, the ministry presented a draft of its action plan for the country's nuclear policy going forward. The plan says that next-generation nuclear reactors should be built initially as replacements for existing reactors for which decommission decisions are made.
   After the March 2011 triple meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s tsunami-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in northeastern Japan, the country's nuclear reactor regulation law was revised to set the maximum reactor operating period at 40 years in principle. The revised law also stipulates that the operating period can be extended only once, for up to 20 years, if approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
   Because the number of plants in operation would continue to decrease under the current 60-year limit rule including suspension periods, however, the ministry sees a need to make the most of existing reactors to ensure the stable power supply and promote decarbonization.