The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, which is made by a major electric power company, jointly uses the "interim storage facility" under construction by two companies such as TEPCO in Aomori Prefecture with other electric power companies as a measure against spent nuclear fuel accumulated in nuclear power plants. Clarified the idea that I would like to start the examination of.

The "interim storage facility" under construction by TEPCO and Japan Atomic Power Company in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, is a facility that temporarily stores spent nuclear fuel that continues to accumulate in the nuclear power plant's storage pool.



Currently, only two companies are subject to storage, but the capacity of the pools of nuclear power plants nationwide is filling up, and securing a place to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel is a common issue for electric power companies.



On the 17th, Chairman Kazuhiro Ikebe of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan met with Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kajiyama and reported that he would like to start considering the joint use of the "interim storage facility" with other electric power companies.



On that basis, he said that understanding of the local Aomori prefecture and Mutsu city is important, and the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan will visit the local area on the 18th to explain the status of consideration for shared use.

In response, Minister Kajiyama said, "We believe that considering new options in the form of shared use of interim storage facilities is of great significance in promoting the nuclear fuel cycle policy," and the government is also proactive. He showed his thoughts on getting involved.



Regarding spent nuclear fuel, Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. is required to present a candidate site for an interim storage facility to be shipped out of Fukui Prefecture, where the nuclear power plant is located, by the end of the year, and it seems that this situation was taken into consideration.

Spent nuclear fuel is a common issue for all companies

What to do with the spent nuclear fuel that continues to accumulate in nuclear power plants is a major issue common to all electric power companies.



The total capacity of the storage pools of nuclear power plants nationwide, including the nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, which will be decommissioned, is 21,400 tons in total, but as of September, 16,060 tons of spent nuclear fuel, which is 75%, has already been consumed. ____ is inside.



Electric power companies plan to transport spent nuclear fuel to a reprocessing plant in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture for processing, but the completion time of the plant has been postponed repeatedly due to troubles and scandals, and the current completion schedule is the first half of 2022. is.



The spent nuclear fuel storage pool in this reprocessing plant is already 99% full, and it is difficult to bring in new fuel from nuclear power plants in various regions without starting reprocessing.



When the nuclear power plant's storage pool is full, it becomes impossible to extract nuclear fuel from the reactor and continue operation, so electric power companies have been considering countermeasures.

Movement over interim storage facility

The storage location mentioned as one of the countermeasures is the "interim storage facility".



The interim storage facility is a facility that takes out cooled spent nuclear fuel from the pool for a certain period of time and puts it in a metal container for temporary storage. TEPCO and Japan Atomic Power Company are in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, and gained local understanding. On top of that, we were among the first to embark on the construction of an interim storage facility.



Meanwhile, other power companies have also moved to secure storage facilities.



Three companies, Kansai Electric Power Co., Kyushu Electric Power Co., and Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc., whose nuclear power plants restarted after the Fukushima nuclear accident, are becoming more urgent.



Of these, Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. was required to carry spent nuclear fuel out of the prefecture from Fukui prefecture, where the nuclear power plant is located, and said that it would indicate a candidate site for an interim storage facility in a place other than Fukui prefecture by the end of this month.



The presentation of the candidate site is also a prerequisite for discussions on whether the Governor of Fukui will agree to restart the three nuclear power plants, the Takahama and Mihama nuclear power plants, which have been in operation for more than 40 years.



In response to this situation, some people concerned have said, "If we can share the interim storage facility in Mutsu City, we will be able to meet the demands of Fukui Prefecture."



However, the interim storage facility is premised on the temporary storage of only spent nuclear fuel from the nuclear power plants of TEPCO and Japan Atomic Power Company, and the local Aomori Prefecture and Mutsu City have an agreement with the two companies.



If we were to bring in spent nuclear fuel from another electric power company that did not have an agreement, we would need the understanding of Aomori Prefecture and Mutsu City, and the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry visited Aomori Prefecture on the 18th for shared use. I will convey my thoughts that I would like to consider.



The immediate focus will be on coordination with the local community over the shared use of interim storage facilities and what will happen to the discussions between Kansai Electric Power and Fukui Prefecture in the future.

Pluthermal Goal is not expected to be achieved

The new goal of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan is to implement pull thermal power generation with at least 12 units, but it is uncertain whether the target will be reached.



Pluthermal power generation is positioned as a pillar of the nuclear fuel cycle policy of the country that reuses spent nuclear fuel, and the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan set a goal of "16 to 18 units by 2010" in 1997.



However, due to the effects of nuclear fuel data fraud and troubles, the target was revised in 2009 and changed to "16 to 18 by 2015", which is a five-year postponement.



Although pull thermal power generation was gradually introduced, the number of nuclear power plants operating after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011 was limited, and the current implementation is the Takahama nuclear power plant of Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. 3 in Fukui prefecture. There are only four units, Units 4 and 4, Shikoku Electric Power's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 in Ehime Prefecture, and Kyushu Electric Power's Genkai Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 in Saga Prefecture.



This time, the target was revised for the first time in 11 years, and it is said that "at least 12 units by 2030", but in addition to the 4 units that have restarted, 4 units have been examined by the government on the premise of pull thermal. only.



Several electric power officials said, "Pluthermal uses a special nuclear fuel containing plutonium at the nuclear power plant, so it is necessary to obtain the understanding of local governments. First of all, we want to prioritize restarting, and we need to be careful about plutonium. It is unclear whether the goal will be reached.

Large amount of plutonium

On the other hand, Japan already has a large amount of plutonium, and reduction is required.



As of the end of last year, Japan's plutonium was stored domestically at 8.9 tons, and overseas storage in the United Kingdom and France was 36.6 tons, for a total of about 45.5 tons.



Plutonium being implemented in Japan is currently using plutonium stored in France, and the total amount continues to decrease slightly, but if the reprocessing plant in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture starts full-scale operation in the future, it will be new. Plutonium will be taken out.



Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited, the operator of the reprocessing plant, says that it will take out only the amount of plutonium required for plutonium and secure the supply-demand balance of plutonium in Japan, according to the national idea, but the number of nuclear power plants that perform plutonium is limited. It has also been pointed out that if the reprocessing plant operates, it may be difficult to reduce the amount of plutonium held overseas.

Pull thermal new target at least 12 units

The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, which is made by a major electric power company, has set a new goal of implementing "pluthermal power generation" that reuses plutonium from spent nuclear fuel of nuclear power plants at at least 12 nuclear power plants by 2030. ..



Electric power companies are promoting "pluthermal power generation" in which spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants is reprocessed to extract plutonium, processed into special nuclear fuel, and used again at nuclear power plants.



The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan has set a goal of implementing pull thermal at 16 to 18 nuclear power plants by FY2015, but after the Fukushima nuclear accident, the number of nuclear power plants in operation is limited, and now we are conducting pull thermal. There are only four nuclear power plants, including the Takahama nuclear power plant of Kansai Electric Power Company.



Under these circumstances, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan has announced that the reprocessing plant and nuclear fuel processing plant in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture, have passed the national examination required for operation, and it is expected that new plutonium will be extracted in the future. We reviewed the target for the first time in 11 years and decided to implement it at at least 12 nuclear power plants by 2030.



Since plutonium is also a raw material for nuclear weapons, Japan has internationally promised not to have plutonium for no purpose, and concrete reduction measures are required.



Kazuhiro Ikebe, Chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, said, "I haven't set a target, and I think we need 16 to 18 units. The plan of 12 units by 2030 is positioned as an immediate target."

Chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies "Understanding the local community is the most important issue"

After meeting with Minister Kajiyama, Kazuhiro Ikebe, chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, responded to a reporter's interview, saying, "First of all, I will explain firmly to the local community and start considering it. Is the most important issue, "he said, and with the cooperation of the government, he expressed his intention to do everything in his power to gain the understanding of the local community.



On the other hand, when asked if there was any idea that starting the study would lead to the support of Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., which is required to carry spent nuclear fuel out of the prefecture from Fukui Prefecture, where the nuclear power plant is located, "shared use". The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan wants to increase flexibility and expand options. I think it is up to each business operator to decide whether or not to use the facility. "

Kansai Electric Power "Examining all possibilities"

As a member of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. announced that the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan would like to start considering joint use of the "interim storage facility" under construction in Aomori Prefecture by two companies including TEPCO. I am aware of the contents. We are considering all possibilities and working diligently to secure the location of the interim storage facility outside Fukui Prefecture. "



He added, "We will refrain from answering because the specific content of the examination may hinder future efforts."

Mayor Miyashita, Mutsu City "Showing Thoughts tomorrow"

The Mayor of Mutsu City, Soichiro Miyashita, said on the 18th that the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, which is made by a major electric power company, has indicated that it will start considering the joint use of interim storage facilities in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. It is said that the city's ideas will be conveyed in response to the visit.



Mayor Miyashita of Mutsu City responded to a press interview in the city on the evening of the 17th, and after clarifying that the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kajiyama had contacted him on the afternoon of the 17th, he said, "A direct request from the Minister. I was told by the government that I would take responsibility for the response, so I would like to have an interview. "He said that he would respond to the visit with the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan on the 18th.



On the other hand, he said, "Responding to a visit does not necessarily mean that we will move this forward. It does not mean that we will immediately accept the story of the current sharing."



He added, "The region has the right to self-determination, and we cannot move forward without our decision. I will speak clearly tomorrow, including whether to accept or not," he said at the meeting of the city on the 18th. He showed the idea of ​​communicating the policy.

Governor Mimura of Aomori Prefecture "Refrain from commenting"

Aomori Prefecture has not directly grasped the details of the fact that the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, which is made by a major electric power company, has indicated that it will start considering the joint use of the interim storage facility in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. , Comments are withheld.



Governor Mimura will be briefed by the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan on the morning of the 18th.

Recycled fuel storage "Understanding from the community is the most important"

"Recycled fuel storage," which operates an interim storage facility in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, said, "We will consider all the details, but we believe that the understanding of the local people is of utmost importance. It is. "