| Junichi Yamashita, Dr. Eng. | Hitachi Works, Power Systems, |
| Fumio Kawamura, Dr. Eng. | Nuclear Fuel Cycle Project Dept., Nuclear Systems Div., Power Systems, |
| Takaaki Mochida, Dr. Eng. | Nuclear Plant Engineering Dept., Hitachi Works, Power Systems, |
It is essential to develop systems for nuclear recycling to solve global environmental problems and create a sustainable energy supply for the future. Although the ultimate nuclear energy system for Japan would be one that uses Pu (plutonium) recycling based on FBRs (fast breeder reactors), the development of such FBR systems requires a certain period of time. A shift from the current LWR (light water reactor) systems needs to be done step by step through a transition period. We propose an interim nuclear energy system for this transition period, which consists of an RMWR (reduced moderation water reactor), i.e. a Pu recycling reactor based on LWR technology and an advanced reprocessing system, the FLUOREX (hybrid process of fluoride volatility and solvent extraction), which is a hybrid reprocessing method utilizing the fluoride volatility for U (uranium) and solvent extraction for Pu. An RMWR and FLUOREX fuel recycling system is a promising option for a sustainable energy supply in this century.
 | The Hitachi Hyoron (Japanese Only) |
advanced reactor, fuel cycle, fuel reprocessing, reduced moderation water reactor, plutonium utilization
