Japan's industry ministry has drawn up a set of guidelines for the greater use of nuclear power. The move signals a clear departure from the official policy since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

The ministry presented the guidelines online to an advisory panel on Thursday. They were based on a draft action plan shown to the panel late last month.

The guidelines call for the collaboration of all those concerned to restart nuclear reactors that remain offline.

To ensure the sustainable use of nuclear energy, the guidelines call for next-generation reactors to be developed to replace decommissioned ones.

The ministry also plans to effectively extend reactors' operation beyond the current 60-year cap by excluding periods when they were offline, such as for screening by regulators. The cap was set after the Fukushima Daiichi accident.

The ministry says specific scenarios for introducing next-generation reactors should be studied, adding that the operation cap will be reviewed on the basis of research and development going forward.

Some panel members, including those who call for ending nuclear power generation, criticized the ministry, saying it failed to consult the public in making key policy decisions.

But many others, including business representatives and experts, supported the ministry's proposals and called for further steps.

The ministry plans to present the guidelines to a government conference on carbon neutrality, which will likely be held this month, after discussions at a panel on energy policy and talks with ruling coalition officials.