CNIC Statement: Incapable of seeing even a few months ahead, the Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited is not qualified to operate the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant.
August 23, 2024
On August 23rd, the Japanese Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) reported to Aomori Prefecture the postponement of the target for completion of the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant, which had been set as the end of September. Understanding of the number of postponements may vary depending on how you count, but in general this is thought to be the 27th postponement of the target. JNFL said the new date will be released on 29th August. However, according to news releases it will be extended for two and half years, until the end of FY2026.
Even though it was obvious to everyone that completing the construction work of the plant by the end of September was impossible, JNFL had insisted on a completion by the end of September. Some views suggested that JNFL had been putting off the announcement to avoid any impact it may have on the August 9th agreement concluded between Mutsu City, Aomori-Prefecture and the operator about the interim storage facilities for spent fuel in the city. Nevertheless, up to now JNFL has repeatedly announced the postponement of the completion goal with just about a month’s notice.
It was originally assumed that the operation period of the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant would be 40 years. However, METI (the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) has recently changed its view, stating that there was no such assumption, and that the plant’s operating period could be extended [i]. At the same time, 31 years have passed since the construction of the plant started in 1993 and the equipment has already begun to deteriorate even before the plant’s completion. It is doubtful whether a company that cannot foresee its situation for several months into the future could operate the reprocessing plant for 40 or more years.
The Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant is a very dangerous facility in which large amounts of radioactive materials are handled. There is also an international target of reducing the plutonium stockpile. Considering these facts, a company which is incapable of forming an outlook for the situation in the near future has no qualification or capability to operate the plant. Furthermore, the government and electric companies should face the reality that the nuclear fuel cycle policy has already collapsed instead of making various plans and promises on the premise that the Rokkasho Reprocessing plant can be operated.
[i]At the 39th Nuclear Energy Subcommittee (June 25, 2024), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) answered a question by Mr. Matsukubo (a committee member from CNIC) stating, “We understand that there is this 40 years which was set as a guide for the evaluation of the plant to conduct an evaluation of the facility’s design to ensure the plant’s degree of safety after 40 years of operation. We also understand that there is no agreement or legal constraint to stop the plant’s operation after 40 years.” “Compared with the past, the time when the so-called 2017 policy framework was discussed, the number of operating plants and the amount of spent nuclear fuel has clearly declined. With this change in circumstances, what is the possible and more suitable assumption we can make to prepare for the future? When we move the spent fuel out of the interim storage, whether we follow the previous assumption and move it to the planned so-called second reprocessing plant or, for example, we continue to make use of this Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant for a longer time…’ (link in Japanese: www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/enecho/denryoku_gas/genshiryoku/pdf/039_gijiroku.pdf)
However, METI themselves described the current situation of Japan’s nuclear fuel cycle in January 2019 and mentioned that ‘in full operation [the plant would process] 800 tons/year (40-year plan, cumulative total 32,000 tons)’ on their website. (Link in Japanese: www.enecho.meti.go.jp/about/special/johoteikyo/shiyozuminenryo.html)
Further, at the Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy Formulation Committee held by the Atomic Energy Commission (4th committee meeting, February 21, 2011), the government explained that ‘Based on the recent framework, discussion of processing of spent fuel and spent MOX fuel after their interim storage started around 2010. Taking the basic policy of effective use of plutonium and uranium from reprocessed spent fuel into consideration, the decision will be made before the end of operation of the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant, which is about in 40 years’ time.’ (Link in Japanese: www.aec.go.jp/jicst/NC/tyoki/sakutei/siryo/sakutei5/siryo7.pdf) It is evident that up to now the assumption of the operation period has been 40 years.
