A Review of Plans for the Utilization of Plutonium to be Recovered at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant
June
12,
2009
Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan
Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (JNFL) has been performing active tests at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) since March 2006 using spent fuel. These tests result in the separation of plutonium as a product of reprocessing. To ensure transparency in the use of this plutonium, each electric power company drew up a plutonium utilization plan for fiscal 2009 and announced it on March 6 this year.
Later, on April 16, JNFL altered the schedule for starting up the Rokkasho MOX fuel fabrication plant from fiscal 2012 to fiscal 2015. Then, on June 2, the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of Japan (AEC) advised that the electric power companies review the plutonium utilization plan in order to ensure the transparency of plutonium usage. In response, the electric power companies have revised the program for fiscal 2009 as stated in the attachment.
The electric power companies will continue to carry out pluthermal programs (utilization of plutonium in light water reactors) as quickly as possible and are seeking to implement these programs at 16 to 18 nuclear reactors across the country by fiscal 2015 at the latest, when the MOX fuel fabrication plant comes on line.
In the early stage of the programs, the electric power companies are planning to use MOX fuel manufactured overseas by using plutonium recovered from overseas reprocessing. Once the Rokkasho MOX fuel fabrication plant commences operation, plutonium recovered at RRP will also be used in due course.
Reference:
According to the paper entitled “Concerning the Basic
Position on Japan’s Use of Plutonium” decided by the AEC on August 5, 2003,
each utility shall announce a "Plutonium Utilization Plan" for its
share of the plutonium to be recovered at RRP.
In addition, in the “Framework
for Nuclear Energy Policy” decided by the AEC on October 11, 2005 and resolved
by the Cabinet on October 14, 2005, the utilities are expected to announce their
plans for the utilization of plutonium in an appropriate manner.
