Release
August 21, 2020

Extraordinary Press Conference

Change in Schedule for Completion of Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant

  • As we have already informed, on July 29, 2020, JNFL received permission from the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on modification of safety measures for JNFL's reprocessing business.
  • To meet new regulatory requirements about design criteria and severe accident, Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) needs additional safety measures. Considering the construction period to implement safety measures such as the protection of the cooling towers from tornados, we have decided to change the timing of the expected completion from the first half of Japanese Fiscal Year 2021 to the first half of Japanese Fiscal Year 2022.
  • Regarding JNFL’s MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant that is under safety review by NRA and aims for completion in the first half of Japanese Fiscal Year 2022, we will update and explain the entire schedule including the construction period necessary to implement safety measures after receiving permission from NRA.
  • We will continue to advance our business on the premise of strictly complying with IAEA safeguards and improving security.   

＜Reference＞
1. Reasons for the Change in Schedule for Completion of Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant(RRP)

  • In December 2013, new regulatory requirements for reprocessing facilities were enforced.
  • Since August 2019, it is required to install steel protective nets to　the both 2 of outdoor cooling towers to protect them from tornados with the maximum wind speed 100 meters per second according to the new regulatory requirements about tornados.
  • One of the cooling towers is on the roof of Head-end building. If a steel protecting net installed on it, it affects seismic capacity of the building because of the weight increase. So, it is decided to build a new cooling tower equipped with a steel protective net on the ground.
  • It takes time to design, manufacture and construct it. Also, there will be the final self-inspection by JNFL to confirm if the plant design complies with new regulatory requirements, and confirmation of the inspection result by NRA. Therefore, we set the new expected completion to the first half of FY2022.

2. Our Efforts for Completion and Operation of RRP

（1）Construction works for safety measures, such as installation of steel protective nets for protecting the outdoor
          cooling towers
（2）Efforts to obtain approvals for design and construction methods
（3）The final self-inspection by JNFL to confirm if the plant design complies with new regulatory requirements, and
          confirmation of the inspection result by NRA
（4）Efforts for safe and stable operation

  • Since 2008, the regular operation of RRP has not been conducted for a long time. In order to maintain and improve operators’ technical ability and maintain performance of equipment under long term suspension, we set the action plan and surely implement it to prepare for the startup of facilities and processes.
  • After completion, as soon as local communities agree to the start of RRP, we will commence the operation. At first, we will conduct the treatment operation for cleaning liquid which stems from equipment cleaning and the waste liquid after analysis. Then, we will start regular operation, including shearing spent fuels, etc.
  • No shearing of spent fuels is planned and the quantity of plutonium possession will not increase in FY2022.