Status of present activities at the Reprocessing Plant

• Inspection of equipment within the vitrification cell has been completed for all 218 equipments at the site, including those for the indirect heating device.
• Temperature gauge installation work for the glass melter will be completed for the B-line on March 1, and the A-line temperature gauge is expected to be fully installed by mid-March.

Restoration work for High-Active Liquid Waste Concentrator

• Equipment for providing compressed air to the thermowell has already been delivered to the site. Installation for "ventilation boxes" to prevent movement of radioactive substances in case of accident, as well as installation of protection tube to prevent contamination of the temperature gauge inside the thermowell has been also completed.
• Work is proceeding smoothly, and the Waste Concentrator are scheduled to be back on line by mid to late March.

Pre-service Inspection for the B-line Glass Melter

• "Pre-service inspection" for the B-line glass melter is scheduled to begin as soon as High-Active Liquid Waste Concentrator is back on line.
• This inspection is the final test to confirm the results which was obtained at KMOC* testing facility.
• The results of the tests at KMOC testing facility allowed us to obtain many knowledge regarding the causes and possible solutions to solve problems related to the downstream flow of the glass melter. Two verification tests will be performed in order to confirm that these solutions can definitely be used for the actual melter.
• The first test uses the same waste liquid from KMOC testing. After confirming the glass temperature in the actual melter when operated under the same conditions as KMOC testing, adjustments will be made to ensure temperature management can be performed on the actual melter.
• The second test uses actual waste liquid. As actual waste liquid contains radioactive materials and gives off decay heat, it has been determined that glass temperature will be higher than when test waste liquid was used. After confirming the effects thereof, adjustments will be made so that temperature management can be performed with actual waste liquid as well.
• The testing procedures are as follows: After raising the temperature of the melter for approximately 2 weeks, startup confirmation is performed. Testing is performed using test waste liquid. After evaluating the data, testing is performed using actual liquid waste which does not contain undissolved residue liquid waste. Finally, testing with actual liquid waste which does contain undissolved residue liquid waste will be performed.
• After pre-service inspection for the B-line, the same inspection will be carried out on the A-line. However, the target for A-line inspection is "sometime within FY2011," with plenty of time set aside to thoroughly and carefully perform B-line data verification.

Construction of Vitrification Technology Development Facility

• In order to further increase the reliability of vitrification technology after completion of the Reprocessing Plant, it has been decided that a "Vitrification Technology Development Facility" will be built on the premise of the reprocessing office, with the aim of performing verifications with a full-scale testing facility and developing/verifying maintenance technology via remote operation for the vitrification technology of the "new type of glass melter" currently going through R&D.
• Construction will begin around the middle of next month, with the scheduled completion date being 2 years from now (March 2013).

* KMOC: Full-scale testing facility in Tokai Village, Ibaraki