The Fukui governor approved the “pluthermal” plan at Takahama Nuclear Power Plants [25-year ago today]

 

The Governor of Fukui Prefecture has finally given the president of Kansai Electric Power Co. at the Fukui prefectural government the formal approval to the “pluthermal” plan to reuse MOX fuel at Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 in Takahama Town, Fukui Prefecture.

 

The MOX fuel is made by extracting plutonium from nuclear fuel used in commercial nuclear power plants and mixing it with uranium.

 

Similar plans are underway at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 and Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 of Tokyo Electric Power Co. However, this is the first case in Japan where all the required procedures have passed.

Q. What is the “pluthermal” plan?

The Japanese-English word means reusing plutonium in a thermal neutron reactor.

 

As the practical application of fast breeder reactors was facing difficulties, the Japanese government decided on the “pluthermal” plan in 1995 as a “guaranteed” measure for the nuclear fuel cycle involving the mining of uranium ore, enrichment, processing, use, reprocessing after use, and reuse or disposal.

 

In 1999, the Fukui governor formally approved starting “pluthermal” power generation at Takahama Power Plant in return for conditions including ensuring safety, raising the nuclear fuel tax, and obtaining a resident agreement.

 

In the same year, however, improper data on MOX fuel came out when the manufacturer in the UK shipped the fuel, and the first domestic operation was obliged to deviate from the schedule.

 

Furthermore, an accident occurred at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 in 2004, resulting in 11 deaths and injuries, and it took extra time to realize the plan.

 

Full-scale operation of “pluthermal” power generation at Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 began on January 21, 2011, just before the Great East Japan Earthquake.

On the other hand, Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 turned non-operational after a regular inspection following the earthquake.

 

While Unit 4 started in 2016 for the first time in about four years and seven months, an emergency shutdown happened on the third day.

 

The reactor started again the following May 2017, and commercial operation reusing plutonium in a thermal neutron finally came true in June.

 

Units 3 and 4 are currently both in operation.

参考
関電初、高浜原発でプルサーマル／１月にも営業運転 - 四国新聞社
玄海３号、ＭＯＸ燃料装荷　国内初の本格プルサーマル発電開始へ　１１月上旬、調整運転開始予定　九州電、計画表明から５年半 - 原子力産業新聞
核燃料税について - 福井県
越前若狭のふれあい特別号「プルサーマル特集」- 関西電力
高浜発電所３，４号機のプルサーマル計画について - 関西電力
高浜４号機 再稼働　初のプルサーマル発電へ - 日本共産党
関電、高浜原発４号機のプルサーマル発電見合わせへ - 朝日新聞
高浜4号機が再稼動 国内稼動原発は4基に - 科学技術振興機構
関電、高浜４号機再起動。気まぐれな司法に国はどう向き合うか - ニュースイッチ
新・ことば事情　５７５７「再稼働」 - 道浦俊彦
関電高浜原発４号機が再稼働　１年３カ月ぶり - 日本経済新聞