What is Pluthermal?
Japan's Pluthermal Plan
Stop MOX Shipments!
Table 1: TEPCO and KEPCO
Table 2: Smaller power companies on the island of Honshu
Table 3: Smaller power companies on the other islands
Table 4: Full MOX plan for Ohma
Media releases
Other links
(The tables shown below were compiled by Masafumi Takubo, editor of Kakujoho, and translated by CNIC.)
What is Pluthermal?
The term 'pluthermal' refers to the use of plutonium in thermal reactors (i.e. light water reactors), as opposed to in fast breeder reactors. The fuel is made from a mixed oxide of plutonium and uranium (MOX).
Japan's Pluthermal Plan
Originally the government and the electric power companies claimed that pluthermal would be implemented in 16-18 reactors by 2010. It was clear for a long time that this schedule could not be met, but the government and the electric power companies persisted stubbornly until June 12, 2009, when finally they were forced to admit their failure. On that day, the Federation of Electric Power Companies announced a revised schedule. The current plan is to implement pluthermal at the same 16-18 reactors by 2015 instead of by 2010. Click here for links to Japanese power companies' plutonium utilization plans.
Table 1: TEPCO and KEPCO#
| . |
KEPCO - Takahama-3&4
|
TEPCO - Fukushima I-3
|
TEPCO - Kashiwazaki-Kariwa-3
|
|
Reactor Type
|
PWR
|
BWR
|
BWR
|
|
Power Output
|
870 MW
|
780 MW
|
1100 MW
|
|
Location
|
Takahama, Fukui Prefecture
|
Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture
|
Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture
|
|
Request for 'prior consent' of regional and local governments
|
23 Feb. 1998
|
18 Aug. 1998
reappllied on 20 January 2010
|
24 Feb. 1999
|
|
'Prior consent' granted by regional and local governments
|
8 May 1998 - 'preliminary consent'
|
2 Nov. 1998
|
Niigata Pref. / Kariwa: 31 March 1999
Kashiwazaki: 1 April 1999
|
|
Application for reactor establishment license variation
|
11 May 1998
|
4 Nov. 1998
|
1 April 1999
|
|
Reactor establishment license variation approved
|
16 Dec. 1998
|
2 July 1999
|
24 March 2000
|
|
'Prior consent' granted by regional and local governments
|
Takahama: 26 May 1999
Fukui Pref.: 17 June 1999
This approval is still valid, but it was reconfirmed by the governor on 30 January 2008)
|
6 August 2010 (anniversary of Hiroshima bomb)
|
|
|
1999 accident and data falsification
|
14 Sep. 1999: Takahama-3 MOX fuel data falsification revealed
30 Sep. 1999: JCO criticality accident
16 Dec. 1999: Takahama-4 MOX fuel data falsification revealed
|
|
Announcements of postponement
|
16 Dec. 1999
(Return of MOX fuel to UK completed in Sep. '02)
|
7 Jan. 2000
(MOX fuel stored at nuclear power plant)
|
18 Nov. 1999
(Postponed to 2001)
(MOX fuel stored at nuclear power plant)
|
|
Subsequent developments
|
20 March 2004: Local governments renew approval
26 March 2004: KEPCO concludes basic contract for supply of MOX fuel
9 Aug. 2004: Fatal accident at Mihama-3 reactor
12 Aug. 2004: KEPCO announces further postponement
30 Jan. 2008: KEPCO resumes preparation for implementation of pluthermal
|
8 Feb. 2001: TEPCO announces freeze on power plant construction (including thermal power plants in Fukushima Pref.)
26 Feb. 2001: Governor states that “loading of MOX fuel is not possible at the moment”
29 March 2001: TEPCO abandons May implementation
29 Aug. 2002: TEPCO fabrication of inspection data revealed
24 Sep. 2002: Governor retracts 'prior consent'
20 January 2010: application process recommenced with request for prior consent
6 August 2010 prior consent granted (see above)
|
27 May 2001: Local referendum in Kariwa - majority oppose MOX
1 June 2001: Kariwa, Kashiwazaki & Fukui Prefecture request TEPCO to put MOX plan in abeyance. TEPCO agrees.
29 Aug. 2002: TEPCO fabrication of inspection data revealed
12 Sep. 2002: Governor & Mayors hold meeting and decide to retract 'prior consent'.
|
| Fuel fabrication |
Areva/Melox
Contracts signed 31 March 2008 (8 assemblies each for Takahama 3 & 4) and 21 November 2008 (16 assemblies each for Takahama 3 & 4)
|
Areva/Melox
Contract signed for 32 assemblies
|
|
| Fuel shipments |
16 assemblies arrived from France at Takahama-3 on 30 June 2010
|
|
|
| Fuel loaded |
5 December 2010
|
21 August 2010
|
|
| Reactor started up with MOX fuel |
22 December 2010
|
18 September 2010
|
|
# TEPCO and KEPCO are the two largest nuclear power companies in Japan. Of all the power companies, they were the most advanced with their pluthermal plans, until their plans were derailed by scandals and accidents.
TEPCO = Tokyo Electric Power Company
KEPCO = Kansai Electric Power Company
Table 2: The smaller power companies (Honshu)*
| |
Chugoku - Shimane-2
|
Chubu - Hamaoka-4
|
Tohoku - Onagawa-3
|
Hokuriku - Shika 1
|
|
Reactor Type
|
BWR
|
BWR
|
BWR
|
BWR
|
|
Power Output
|
820 MW
|
1137 MW
|
825 MW
|
357 MW
|
|
Location
|
Matsue, Shimane Prefecture
|
Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture
|
Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture
|
Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture
|
|
Request for 'prior consent' of regional and local governments
|
12 Sep. 2005
|
13 Sep. 2005
(No requirement for 'prior consent' under local agreement. Chubu Electric informed local and regional governments of plan, and announced intention to visit all households and hold local meetings to explain plan.)
|
5 November 2008
|
28 June 2010
|
|
'Prior consent' granted by regional and local governments
|
. 23 Oct. 2006
(Local authority gave permission for review by central government. See below for 'prior consent' to implement pluthermal.)
|
29 February 2008
(Governor Ishikawa gave his consent, although this is not officially required.)
|
18 March 2010.
|
|
|
Application for reactor establishment license variation
|
. 23 Oct. 2006
|
3 March 2006
|
6 November 2008
|
28 June 2010
|
|
Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency judges application to be adequate, requests double checks (see next two sections)
|
?
|
?
|
10 June 2009
|
|
|
Nuclear Safety Commission judges that application meets safety requirements
|
.20 October 2008
|
25 June 2007
|
24 December 2009
|
|
|
Atomic Energy Commission reports that application is adequate
|
21 October 2008.
|
26 June 2007
|
. 22 December 2009
|
|
|
Reactor establishment license variation approved
|
.28 October 2008
|
4 July 2007
|
8 January 2010
|
|
|
'Prior consent' granted by regional and local governments
|
24 March 2009
|
29 February 2008
(Governor Ishikawa gave his consent, although this is not officially required.)
|
|
|
|
Fuel fabrication
|
Areva/Melox
Contract signed on 16 Sep. 2009 (40 assemblies)
|
Areva/Melox
Contracts signed on 13 March 2006 (108 assemblies) and 30 April 2010 (144 assemblies)
|
|
|
| Fuel shipments |
|
28 assemblies left Cherbourg, France on 5 March and arrived at Hamaoka on 18 May 2009
|
|
|
|
Fuel loaded
|
|
|
|
|
*
Kyushu = Kyushu Electric Power Company
Shikoku = Shikoku Electric Power Company
Chugoku = Chugoku Electric Power Company
Chubu = Chubu Electric Power Company
Table 3: The smaller power companies (other islands**)
| |
Kyushu - Genkai-3
|
|
Hokkaido - Tomari-3
|
|
Reactor Type
|
PWR
|
PWR
|
PWR
|
|
Power Output
|
1180 MW
|
890 MW
|
912 MW
|
|
Location
|
Genkai, Saga Prefecture
|
Ikata, Ehime Prefecture
|
Tomari, Hokkaido Prefecture
|
|
Request for 'prior consent' of regional and local governments
|
28 May 2004
|
10 May 2004
|
18 April 2008
|
|
'Prior consent' granted by regional and local governments
|
28 May 2004 (preliminary consent)
|
1 Nov. 2004 (preliminary consent)
|
5 March 2009
|
|
Application for reactor establishment license variation
|
28 May 2004
|
1 Nov. 2004
|
9 March 2009
|
|
Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency judges application to be adequate, requests double checks (see next two sections)
|
10 Feb. 2005
|
27 July 2005
|
26 March 2010
|
|
Nuclear Safety Commission judges that application meets safety requirements
|
29 Aug. 2005
|
16 March 2006
|
11 November 2010
|
|
Atomic Energy Commission reports that application is adequate
|
30 Aug. 2005
|
20 March 2006
|
16 November 2010
|
|
Reactor establishment license variation approved
|
7 Sep. 2005
|
28 March 2006
|
26 November 2010
|
|
'Prior consent' granted by regional and local governments
|
26 March 2006
|
13 October 2006
|
See above
|
|
Fuel fabrication
|
Areva/Melox
Contract signed .28 September 2006 (36 assemblies)
|
Areva/Melox
Contract signed .28 November 2006 (21 assemblies)
|
Areva/Melox
Contract signed .28 March 2010 (4 assemblies)
|
| Fuel shipments |
First: 16 assemblies left Cherbourg, France on 5 March and arrived at Genkai on 23 May 2009
Second: 20 assemblies arrived from France at Genkai on 28 June 2010
|
21 assemblies left Cherbourg, France on 5 March and arrived at Ikata on 27 May 2009
|
|
|
Fuel loaded
|
15 - 18 October 2009
|
9 - 12 February 2010
|
|
| Reactor started up with MOX fuel |
5 November 2009
|
2 March 2010
|
|
**
Kyushu = Kyushu Electric Power Company
Shikoku = Shikoku Electric Power Company
Chugoku = Chugoku Electric Power Company
Chubu = Chubu Electric Power Company
Table 4: Full MOX plan for Ohma
Electric Power Development Co. (J-Power) plans to construct an Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (1383 MW) at Ohma in Aomori Prefecture. This reactor would be capable of taking a full core of MOX (mixed oxide of plutonium and uranium) fuel. The plan is to operate it with a full MOX core eventually, but to begin with less than a third MOX. The current status of Ohma is shown in the following table.
| 8 September 1999 |
J-Power submitted an application to Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) for reactor installation license approval. |
| 18 March 2004 |
J-Power submitted a new application to Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) for reactor installation license approval. The new application shifted the location of the core 200m from the originally proposed site. |
| June 2005 |
METI completed preliminary review of application and referred it to Nuclear Safety Commission and Atomic Energy Commission for review. |
| 19 October 2005 |
Second public hearing held in Ohma. |
| 23 April 2008 |
METI approved the Ohma construction plan. J-Power said it planned to commence construction in May 2008. |
| 3 April 2009 |
Order for fuel fabrication placed with Global Nuclear Fuel Japan Co., which will outsource the manufacture of the MOX fuel to Areva's Melox facility (? assemblies) |
| 2013 |
Load fuel |
| 2014 |
Plan to commence operations |
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