News
France Cancels Special Fuel Treatment Plant, Affecting Japan's Monju Reactor Decommissioning
A proposed French facility for treating specialized nuclear material, a key option for Japan's Monju reactor, has been cancelled, potentially complicating the removal of nuclear material from the Japanese plant. This development casts uncertainty over Japan's plans to manage the material from its prototype reactor, which is currently undergoing decommissioning.
A proposal to construct a new specialized fuel processing plant in France has been withdrawn, impacting Japan's strategy for handling material from its Monju prototype reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture. This facility was considered a primary option for processing mixed uranium-plutonium oxide fuel from Monju. The cancellation, confirmed by sources and documents from French state-funded nuclear company Orano, creates challenges for the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), which oversees Monju. The JAEA had intended to base its removal timeline for the reactor's material on the progress of this French project. While France aims to update an existing processing plant for compatibility with mixed oxide fuel, the broader implications for Monju's material removal, scheduled between fiscal 2034 and 2037, remain unclear. The JAEA acknowledged the growing uncertainty surrounding the French plant but noted that the French government continues to support a nuclear fuel cycle policy and pursue discussions regarding the processing of reactor fuel.
Key Facts
- A plan for a new special fuel processing facility in France has been cancelled.
- This French plant was a primary candidate for processing mixed uranium-plutonium oxide fuel from Japan's Monju prototype reactor.
- The cancellation was confirmed by sources, including documents from the French nuclear firm Orano.
- The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) had considered processing in France as its fundamental approach for Monju's material.
- The Monju reactor, located in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, is currently undergoing decommissioning.
- There are 465 nuclear material rods at Monju, containing approximately 2 metric tons of plutonium.
- The JAEA had planned to finalize the removal schedule for Monju's material based on the French project's advancement.
- The Japanese government decided to dismantle Monju in 2016 following a series of incidents, including a 1995 sodium coolant leak.