News Watch
Takahama Units 3, 4 to Operate Past 40 Years
Takahama Nuclear Power Station Units 3 and 4 (PWR, 870 MW each), owned and operated by Kansai Electric Power Co. (Kanden), began operating in January and June 1985, respectively, so next year marks 40 years since their start of operation. On May 29, the Japan Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approved 20-year extensions past 40 years to their operating lifetimes. Sixty years of operation, which had been explained as “in exceptional cases” when the relevant law was revised, has been approved in all cases so far, eight reactors at four nuclear power plants (NPPs), where applications have been filed.
On June 20, Mayor Nose Yutaka of Takahama Town, where the two reactors are located, relayed his acceptance of the extended operation of both reactors to Vice-Governor Nakamura Yasuhiro, who on June 9 had met and talked with Vice-President Mizuta Jin, head of Kanden’s nuclear power division, telling him that the prefectural government would allow the operation of the reactors to be extended on the conditions of taking thorough safety measures, promoting activities to gain the understanding of all residents of the prefecture and making further efforts to enhance the community where the reactors are located. Mizuta replied, “We fulfilled the vice-governor’s three requests and will make safety our steadfast top priority in operating the plant.”
In conjunction with the extended operation, Takahama Town and Fukui Prefecture also approved the replacement of steam generators and installation of shared storage facilities, which the NRA had approved on June 5.
Sixty years of nuclear reactor operation have been okayed, but because a new system will be inaugurated in June 2025 in accordance with the GX Decarbonized Power Source Act, established in 2023, it will also be necessary to obtain approval for a 10-year extension from the NRA and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry after 50 years from the start of operation.
Outlook for 15.1 Trillion Yen in Total Operating Expenses for Reprocessing
The Nuclear Reprocessing and Decommissioning Facilitation Organization of Japan (NURO) reviewed the total project costs for Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited’s (JNF’s) spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant (for reprocessing, management of storage of returned wastes, and waste transport and disposal) on June 21, and announced that the estimation made in 2023 had been increased by 400 billion yen, reaching 15.1 trillion yen. They said the main factors in this increase were progress in considering how to handle the new regulatory standards, additional measures needed for regulatory compliance and stable operation, and reflection of the latest economic indicators and various taxes.
The costs for MOX fuel processing increased by 20 billion yen to about 2.43 trillion yen. The main factors in this increase included progress in studying the new regulatory standards and reflection of the latest economic indicators.
Toshiba, 2 Polish Firms Agree to Consider Joint Project for Equipment Supply to Poland’s NPP
On May 30, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation announced an agreement to explore collaboration with its affiliate Toshiba International (Europe) Ltd., together with Rockfin sp. z o.o., a local firm in Poland to manufacture auxiliary equipment, and EthosEnergy Poland S.A. to provide maintenance services. See www.global.toshiba/ww/news/energy/2024/05/news-20240530-01.html
Fast Reactor Cycle Project Promotion Office at Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) established an office on July 1 for promoting its fast reactor cycle project. They say the office will serve to coordinate R&D toward development of a demonstration reactor. It will consist of about 30 employees from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the major electric power companies, who will be loaned, transferred or holding concurrent positions. Ando Masato from Japan Atomic Power Co. has been appointed director of the office.
MEXT Looking into Constructing New Fuel Plant for Joyo Reactor
JAEA indicated on July 5 at a meeting of the Working Group on Development of R&D Infrastructure for Next-Generation Advanced Reactors under the Nuclear Science and Technology Committee of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) that it would be securing and supplying new fuel for the experimental fast reactor Joyo. Its reasoning is that given the current state of fast reactor fuel manufacturing internationally, (1) procurement overseas is currently difficult, due to lack of technical feasibility, permissibility issues, the international situation and so on, (2) 40 years have passed since the existing facility, Plutonium Fuel Development Room 3, was constructed, so it has depreciated, and to meet the new regulatory standards it will be necessary to acquire a “processing business,” and thus the budget needed may exceed what has been allocated for “new facility development” and (3) it would be desirable to develop facilities that could secure and supply fuel for the Joyo reactor, or facilities to “add technical development functions for fast reactor fuel.” What this last phrase means is that future construction should provide an environment for developing technology for the mass production of fuel for the planned demonstration reactor and commercial reactors.
As for “Plutonium Fuel Development Room 3,” it is located at JAEA’s nuclear fuel cycle engineering research center in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture. Since 1972 it has manufactured a total of about 680 fuel assemblies for the Joyo reactor. The latter’s operation, however, has been halted long-term, so fuel manufacturing has stopped as well. At this time, about 80 unused fuel assemblies are being stored, but if the reactor is restarted, they could be used up within 10 years.
Construction costs on the scale of several tens of billions of yen are expected, and MEXT will announce the course it will take at a meeting of experts to be convened in the near future, when discussions toward constructing a new fuel plant will get fully underway.
