| Tetsuo Fukasawa, Dr. Eng. | Nuclear Fuel Cycle Enginieering Dept., Hitachi Works, Power Systems, |
| Shusaku Sawada | Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Dept., Hitachi Works, Power Systems, |
| Kikuo Okada | Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Dept., Hitachi Works, Power Systems, |
| Masashi Shimizu | Nuclear Power Plant Engineering Dept., Hitachi Works, Power Systems, |
The Japan Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy has now committed the country to reprocess all spent fuel used by LWRs and temporarily stockpile spent fuel exceeding the country's reprocessing capacity (Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant with a reprocessing capacity of 800 t a year) in interim storage. It is also projected that Japan's Pu-thermal (plutonium in thermal reactors) plan will proceed thus enabling the use of MOX fuel using plutonium recovered at Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant in commercial LWRs. Meanwhile, remodeling work on the prototype FBR "Monju" has resumed, and the reactor is expected to achieve criticality in the near future. Investigations will start on the best reprocessing policy in 2010 for spent fuels held in interim storage, assuming, as expected, that a viable FBR design is completed around 2015 and plants are built and put into commercial operation about 2050. As steady progress continues on the reprocessing of spent fuel from LWRs, interim storage solutions, and development of a viable FBR, investigation must focus on the optimum nuclear fuel cycle supporting the transition from LWRs to FBRs after 2050. Hitachi is closely involved in work on the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant, "Monju," interim storage, and other key aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, and is also working on longer term fuel cycle and waste disposal issues to support the transition to FBRs.
 |
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) |
|
JAPAN NUCLEAR FUEL LIMITED (JNFL) |
|
The Hitachi Hyoron (Japanese Only) |
nuclear fuel cycle, reprocessing, fast breeder reactor, FBR, interim storage of spent fuel, radioactive waste management
