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The Plutonium-Use Plan for Research and Development in the Japan Atomic Energy Agency for Japanese Fiscal Year 2007Feb. 23, 2007The 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 the Japan Atomic Energy Agency for JFY 2007" is shown in Table-1. [Outline] At the end of Japanese fiscal year 2006 (JFY 2006) JAEA will be holding approximately 3.6 tons of fissile plutonium (tPuf) for future use. Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP) will reprocess 13 tons of Uranium (tU) of spent fuel in JFY 2007 and will recover about 0.1tPuf per year. The plutonium will be processed into fuel in the MOX Fabrication Facility next to TRP. Approximately 0.1tPuf per year will be used at the Experimental Fast Reactor "JOYO". Approximately 0.5tPuf per year will be used at the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor "MONJU". The MOX fuel is for research and development of fast breeder reactor technology. At "JOYO," JAEA is carrying out periodical inspection and preventive maintenance for plant aging, etc. from JFY2007 to JFY2008. At "MONJU," JAEA is carrying out system function tests for verification of improved equipment, and total system function tests for preparation for regular operation in JFY2007. The start time and time length of use, for the plutonium which JAEA will hold by JFY2007, are expected to be JFY2008 and about 6 years respectively, in both "JOYO" and "MONJU." The annual amount and expected time to consume the plutonium, however, will depend on the progress of research and development, and therefore will be subject to change. |
