That being the case, Japan has promoted development and utilization of nuclear energy as a key to overcoming the fragility of its energy supply structure in the face of its growing energy demand, but subject to the strict limitation of adherence to peaceful uses alone as stipulated in its Atomic Energy Basic Law. Furthermore, in order to make the most of limited uranium resources and at the same time solve the problem of appropriate treatment and disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear power generation, Japan has adopted nuclear fuel recycling, i.e. reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for recovery of plutonium and other reusable components thereof for effective use as nuclear fuel, as one of the basic building blocks of its nuclear energy policy.
Nuclear fuel recycling is a matter of major significance for Japan in its capacity as a nation possessing advanced technological capability. Its significance is clear if one stops to consider the question of how we are going to achieve sustainable development through to the 21st century in a manner which takes account of long-term energy supply and demand in Japan and the world as a whole as well as the need to protect the global environment. I would like here to focus upon nuclear fuel recycling policy, which stands at the core of Japan's development and utilization of nuclear energy.
The experimental fast breeder reactor "Joyo," constructed by PNC at Oharai in Ibaraki Prefecture, has been accumulating technical data and operating experience needed for fast breeder reactor development, and has been in operation without hitches since it reached initial criticality in 1977.
On the basis of that experience, PNC proceeded to build a prototype fast breeder reactor, "Monju," at Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture, starting in 1985, and the reactor reached initial criticality in 1994. After overcoming a number of technical problems in the process of performance tests, in August of last year they managed to make the first transmission of power generated by that reactor, and it has been continuing trial operation since then. The 1994 revision of the Long-Term Program for Research, Development and Utilization of Nuclear Energy envisages continuos and concentrated research and development efforts for establishing a technological framework including demonstration reactors as the process leading to commercial fast breeder reactors.
It was in this context that in December last year we saw the first ever accident in Japanese fast breeder reactor development : a sodium leakage in Monju's secondary coolant system. Investigations to date have shown the cause of the sodium leakage to have been breakage of a temperature sensor installed in the piping of the secondary coolant system.
The Monju accident has been an important lesson for us. Although no one was injured and there was no release of radioactivity to the environment, the accident has brought attention to the considerable gap that exists between the technological safety that the experts are concerned with and the idea that people in general have about what safety means, and it is now clearer than ever that full consideration must be given to that latter idea as well in carrying forward nuclear energy development. It will be essential in the future for us make the facts clear to the general public as well as to the specialists, to investigate the causes of accidents thoroughly, then to take every measure to ensure safety, and to move forward with further technological development.
The future prospects for nuclear power have become somewhat vague as a result of the Monju accident. A referendum was held in the municipality of Maki in Niigata Prefecture in connection with the proposed construction there of a nuclear power station. The results of the referendum showed that a majority of voters were opposed to this project.
It is important to gain the understanding and cooperation of the local people at the proposed site and the general public as well, in connection with the development and utilization of nuclear energy. In this respect, The Atomic Energy Commission has held eleven "round table conferences" so far, which listen to and discuss the opinions of a wide range of people and strive to reflect these opinions appropriately in nuclear policies.
The Electric Power Development Co. Ltd., the company scheduled to build the demonstration reactor to succeed Fugen, conducted an upward revision of their estimate of the construction costs of the reactor. The company reached the conclusion that actual construction costs, after ten years of stagnant preparations, would be far in excess of those allowed for in the original estimate.
On the basis of those findings, the Atomic Energy Commission has undertaken comprehensive study of the matter, not only from the viewpoint of economic viability but also taking into account such factors as how Japan's nuclear fuel recycling policy will be affected, and it has drawn the following two conclusions:
It is very regretful for the Atomic Energy Commission that these reviews forestalled the practical application of years of research and development work. The Commission must now reconsider the circumstances that led to the review of these plans, and make use of whatever lessons can be learned to promote the development and utilization of nuclear energy in the future.
In the way of domestic nuclear fuel reprocessing, the PNC's reprocessing plant at Tokai in Ibaraki Prefecture has been accomplishing reprocessing of spent fuel since 1981.
However, because of its limited capacity, Japanese electric power companies have been and are continuing to commission Britain and France to reprocess such excess spent fuel for them.
The Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. has been constructing a commercial size reprocessing plant at Rokkasho in Aomori Prefecture since 1993 which is scheduled to start operation in 2003.
In addition, for the purpose of establishing the process engineering for reprocessing of spent fuel from fast breeder reactors, PNC started construction work on a Recycling Equipment Testing Facility (RETF) that is expected to be commissioned a little after the turn of the century.
For the time being, it is intended to use the plutonium obtained from such reprocessing mainly in light water reactors in the form of MOX fuel. Such utilization of plutonium represents an effort to develop nuclear fuel recycling making use of existing light water reactors, and it is important that the approach be made to lead to establishment of a system for full-scale future use of plutonium in fast breeder reactors, while at the same time raising the efficiency of utilization of uranium resources.
Up to now light water reactors abroad, mainly in Europe, have burned over 1,500 MOX fuel assemblies, and there have not been any particular technical problems. In Japan, good results have also been obtained in testing MOX fuel since 1986 involving a small number of fuel assemblies.
Presently Japanese electric power companies are working on concrete plans for plutonium utilization in light water reactors for the future. They are planning to have plutonium recovered in reprocessing abroad used in European MOX fabrication plants to produce MOX fuel for Japanese light water reactors. Considering future increase in demand, however, it will be necessary to establish a MOX fuel fabrication plant in Japan as well.
Long-term research and development is required on advanced nuclear fuel recycling technology. The approach includes recycling of new types of fuel and recycling of minor actinide elements such as americium and neptunium based on fast breeder reactor fuel recycling technology. The advanced technology is concerned with increasing safety, economy, nuclear non-proliferation and decreasing environmental burden.
Information needs to be made available to those countries concerned, concerning the safety and necessity of the shipments.
This is why Japan has accepted IAEA full-scope safeguards for all nuclear facilities in Japan. Furthermore, in order to implement Japan's nuclear fuel recycling plan while gaining full international confidence, the Atomic Energy Commission is striving to ensure that its plans are as open and clear as possible while being rationally conceived and well coordinated. The Atomic Energy Commission will be adhering to the principle of not retaining any excess plutonium than that required for the plan. To this end, in its Long-Term Program for Research, Development and Utilization of Nuclear Energy, the Atomic Energy Commission has published figures forecasting the likely supply and demand for plutonium in Japan until the year 2010. These figures show a proper balance between supply and demand. Since 1994 the Atomic Energy Commission has also been publishing annually the quantities of separated plutonium managed in Japan.
Furthermore, against a background of rising international concern about plutonium resulting from dismantling of nuclear weapons and plutonium resulting from peaceful uses of nuclear energy, since February of 1994, nine countries --Japan, the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia, China, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland--have been jointly exploring the possibilities concerning an international framework for enhancement of transparency of the use of plutonium. So far the participating countries have agreed to make public their respective circumstances of control of plutonium for peaceful uses, i.e. to jointly publish figures on their respective quantities of plutonium on hand in each of the different facility categories, and they are now aiming at reaching agreement on the specific procedures of such announcement and on the basic principles of control of plutonium.
In Japan, the Tokai Nuclear Power Reactor which is the nation's first commercially operated nuclear power reactor for 30 years, is scheduled to halt operations at the end of March 1998. It is the basic policy in Japan to dismantle reactors as soon as possible after they have finished operation. The dismantling operations will be conducted safely and smoothly, making full use of the experience gained in the practical dismantling tests on the Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR) conducted at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute.