Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) announces the plutonium-use plan for research and development as follows.
�The plutonium-use plan for research and development in JAEA�
is shown in Table-1(PDF,12kB).
[Outline]
At the end of fiscal year 2004 (FY 2004) JAEA held 3.4 ton of
plutonium for future use. Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP) will
reprocess 42 ton of spent fuel in FY 2005 and 31 ton in FY 2006.
TRP will recover about 0.2 ton of fissile plutonium each fiscal
year.
The plutonium will be processed into fuel in the MOX Fabrication
Facility next to TRP, and will be used in Experimental Fast Reactor
“JOYO” and Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor “MONJU”
as fuel for research and development of fast breeder reactor technology.
At “JOYO”, JAEA will continue irradiation tests for
research and development of fast breeder reactor technology. It
is likely to use 0.1 ton of fissile plutonium per year, and is
expected to need a period of about seven years to consume fissile
plutonium that JAEA will hold for it by the end of FY2006. At
“MONJU”, JAEA has been carrying out renovation work.
It is likely to use about 0.5 ton per year after FY 2007. It will
need about six years to consume the remainder of the plutonium
that JAEA will hold by the end of FY2006. The annual amount and
prospected periods to consume plutonium, however, will depend
on progress of research and development and will be subject to
change.
[Reference]
In relation to plutonium use, the Japan Atomic Energy Commission
(AEC) announced a decision entitled “Concerning the Basic
Position on Japan's Use of Plutonium” on August 5, 2003.
The decision says that “In regard to the future operation
of Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP), it is necessary to achieve
further transparency in the use of plutonium by showing clearly
use plan of the plutonium recovered in RRP.” Based on the
decision, the Electric Power Companies (EPC) shall release their
plutonium-use plans. Furthermore, the decision says that “research
organizations in Japan, such as Japan Nuclear Cycle Development
Institute, shall take equivalent measures to those for commercial
plutonium to improve transparency of plutonium use.” In
addition, “Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy” decided
by AEC on October 11, 2005, and approved at the Cabinet meeting
on October 14, notes that “we expect operating entities
and concerned parties to appropriately disclose their plutonium-use
plans”.
Based on these, JAEA announces the JAEA's plutonium use plan
for research and development on the occasion of EPC's release
of their plutonium-use plans.
