SUMMARY OF FUGEN PROJECT

A large number of positive achievements have been made during the 24 years of Fugen's operation, including achievements that overcame various technological difficulties, such as the stress corrosion cracking, which was experienced beforehand at the precedent commercial nuclear power plants. The Fugen project was expected to take the initiative in tackling those issues faced, while working in concert with the O-arai Engineering Center as a research and development unit, and receiving cooperation from domestic manufacturers. Development for ATR called for overcoming difficulties one by one with tests, evaluations, and verifications, as well as establishing know-how and technologies with audacious, challenging spirit. These technological achievements have been highly appraised as reliable and positive results both nationally and internationally. We will compile the technological achievements and operational data of the past into an accessible format. Moreover, the international contribution of Fugen project to the improvement of nuclear safety should not be missed out. The Chernoby1 accident, the worst event in nuclear power development history, reminded us that guaranteeing the safety of nuclear energy is not only a national issue but also an international responsibility. Japan has offered its own technologies as the international cooperation and produced great results appraised all over the world. For example, JNC (former Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation: PNC) conducted an analytical evaluation of the Chernoby1 plant behavior at the time of the accident, which remarkably helped the cause-finding investigation. Also, for the efforts made as the auspices of IAEA, JNC offered technological cooperation for improvement of safety at Chernoby1-type reactors (RBMK reactors) and for international safety standardization. JNC has also worked in bilateral cooperation with Russia and Lithuania. These contributions were possible mainly because of the expertise obtained through technological development of ATR and operational management of Fugen, a pressure tube type reactor similar to RBMK reactors, and because of the know-how and experience accumulated through the operation of Fugen. Furthermore, recently the nuclear researcher exchange program, which is run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), has annually brought Fugen a number of researchers from neighboring Asian countries for training aimed at supporting the safe and sound progress of nuclear development in their homelands. The researchers learn the spirit and achievements of development realized in ATR project, as well as the efforts for the further improvement of operational management and safety at Fugen. Japan learnt so much from nuclear-developed countries in Europe in the early stages of its domestic nuclear development, enabling nuclear development to prosper and grow, and finally bear fruit as own technology. In that respect, the researcher exchange program also has a meaning of profit returning to the world. As discussed above, Fugen has achieved a big success in the ATR project, but the construction of the demonstration plant was canceled before developers could "include ATR as an economically viable plant in the nuclear power generation program", which was one of the original goals of the project. In 1982, three years after the operational start of Fugen, the decision was made to carry out the project for constructing the ATR demonstration plant, and in the following year the basic design of the plant was transferred to the Electric Power Development Corporation (EPDC), the chief construction contractor. However, for about the next ten years, the construction project was constantly postponed to the following year. During this period, the EPDC could not take an opportunity to come up with an effectively rationalized design. Meanwhile, the electric companies as the users, took the initiative in promoting the standardization and enlargement of LWRs with the support by the national government. Consequently, the economic viability of such reactors was improved, and the plutonium utilization programme progressed to bring forth better prospects for replacing ATR with LWR as a plutonium burner. This shift resulted in the cancellation of the demonstration plant project. In this sense, ATR can be considered to have played a role as a supporting plant in the transition from LWR to FBR, as stated in the Long-term Program for Research, Development and Utilization of Nuclear Energy. However, it also reveals some problems in the system of nuclear development, which is to promote a large-scale project that required a long period of time and a large amount of money. In Fugen project, the user (operator) and the technological developer were identical, allowing the use of a consistent system throughout the stages of design, construction, and operation. Consequently, it was easy to receive technical support and establish an organization to promptly respond to technological questions and users' needs. In addition, it was possible to promote the project under a unified objective. On the other hand, in the demonstration plant project, the trilateral positions and the roles; electric companies as end users, the EPDC as chief developer and builder and the JNC and manufacturers as technical supporters, were clearly defined in the Long-term Program for Research, Development and Utilization of Nuclear Energy.