Tetsuo Fukasawa, Dr. Eng.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Dept., Hitachi Works, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
Shusaku Sawada
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Dept., Hitachi Works, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
Kikuo Okada
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Business Dept., Hitachi Works, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
Masashi Shimizu
Nuclear Power Plant Engineering Dept., Hitachi Works, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
Although the safe operation of nuclear power generation is the most important consideration in using nuclear power as a reliable long-term source of electrical energy, uranium, like oil, is a finite resource and so fuel recycling is also essential. Naturally occurring uranium passes through mining, conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication stages before it is used in nuclear reactions in existing LWRs to produce electrical energy. The intention for the spent fuel produced by this process is to place it partially in interim storage and to process it at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant. The plutonium recovered by fuel reprocessing is currently recycled in LWRs and in the future will be recycled in FBRs. Because an FBR can produce more plutonium than the uranium it consumes, it can act as a reliable source of energy for a thousand years or more. In addition to LWRs, Hitachi is also actively involved in the interim storage, fuel reprocessing, FBR, and radioactive waste management businesses as well as the development of associated technology.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Department, Hitachi Works, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
nuclear fuel cycle, interim storage of spent fuel, reprocessing, FBR, radioactive waste management
