Operation Plans for Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant 
and MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant

The Nuclear Reprocessing Organization of Japan (NuRO) requested JNFL to prepare a five-year provisional operation plan of the possible capacities of JNFL’s reprocessing plant and MOX fuel fabrication plant in order to consider the revision of its master plan (medium-term implementation plan). JNFL, therefore, investigated the possible capacities of both plants from FY2021 to FY2025, and developed an operation plan as shown in the tables below.

As the final operation plan of Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) and MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant will be finalized in NuRO’s future master plan which must receive an approval of Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, this plan prepared by JNFL is provisional.

JNFL carries out the operation of RRP and MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant in accordance with “the Basic Principles on Japan’s Utilization of Plutonium” (July 31, 2018, Japan Atomic Energy Commission). As such reprocessing is to be carried out only to an extent necessary for steady pluthermal power generation, it leads to ensure a balance between demand and supply of plutonium.

1. An Operation Plan for Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant

* tU_Pr means converted mass in tons of metallic uranium before irradiation

Note

①In FY2022, no shearing of spent fuels will be conducted because solutions and waste liquids currently in the main process of the reprocessing plant have to be treated first. The reprocessing involving shearing of spent fuels will start in FY 2023.

②From FY2023 onwards, JNFL will gradually increase the quantity of reprocessing , and introduce advanced vitrification melters; thus the quantity of spent fuel reprocessing will gradually increase to the maximum annual capacity of 800tU_Pr by FY2030, while giving top priority to safety and stable operation.

③JNFL will replace the vitrification melters in the RRP in a planned manner before they reach their lifetimes. The RRP has two operation lines of vitrification melters. The vitrification melter in the first line will be replaced in FY2025 and the one in the second line will be replaced later. In order to ensure the safe replacement work, JNFL will suspend both melters when each melter is being replaced. Therefore, reprocessing capacity will decrease in FY2025.  Current vitrifivation melters will be replaced with advanced vitrification melters.

④Figures for plutonium recovery may fluctuate depending on the type of reprocessed spent fuel and timing of reprocessing, etc. The figures are rounded to one decimal place.

2. An Operation Plan for MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant

Note

①MOX fuel fabrication capacity in the table is rounded to one decimal place.

②There are 2 years between reprocessing and MOX fuel fabrication.

③For example, the figure for FY2025 is the amount of Pu recovered in FY2023. Figures may fluctuate depending on the type of reprocessed spent fuel and timing of reprocessing, etc.