Consideration of plans to reduce plutonium stored overseas by exchanging ownership, etc. Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan

After 2025, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan will exchange ownership between available companies and non-available companies for plutonium stored in France and the United Kingdom by electric power companies to use it as fuel for nuclear power plants. , Revealed that it is considering a plan to promote reduction.

Electric power companies are promoting "pluthermal power generation" by reprocessing nuclear fuel that has been used up at the nuclear power plant, extracting plutonium, and using it again at the nuclear power plant. We outsourced plutonium to France and the United Kingdom and processed it into nuclear fuel.

However, after the nuclear accident, many of the nuclear power plants in Japan have stopped operating, and the use of plutonium overseas, which weighs about 36 tons, has not progressed. It was clarified that we are considering a plan to promote reduction after 2025.

Specifically, since nuclear fuel can only be processed in France, companies capable of plutonium power generation will not be able to take ownership of plutonium owned by other companies in France and proceed with the use of plutonium in the United Kingdom. It means that it is possible to transfer ownership.

Since plutonium is also a raw material for nuclear weapons, it is required to be reduced internationally.

Pull thermal plans of electric power companies

[TEPCO cannot show "cardinal number"] On

the 26th, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan announced a new plan for the first time in 11 years, assuming which nuclear power plants each electric power company will implement "pull thermal power generation".

Of these, TEPCO, which aims to operate nuclear power plants in Niigata and Aomori prefectures, has stated in its previous plan for 2010 that it will be implemented with "3 to 4 units" including the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant No. 3 where the accident occurred. However, this time, the specific number of units was deleted, and it is described as "implemented in one of the reactors".

TEPCO has the largest amount of plutonium in Japan and overseas among electric power companies, and is estimated to reach 13.7 tons as of the end of this fiscal year.

Regarding this plan, TEPCO says, "Although the attitude to tackle plutonium consumption has not changed, we cannot see the concrete plan at this point and cannot show the radix."

[Except for TEPCO, as planned]

On the other hand, electric power companies other than TEPCO have not changed from the previous plan.

According to it,

▽ Hokkaido Electric Power Company is one of Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 in Tomari Village, Hokkaido.

▽ Tohoku Electric Power is one of the No. 3 nuclear power plants in Onagawa Town and Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.

▽ Chubu Electric Power is one of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 in Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

▽ Hokuriku Electric Power Company is one of the first Shika nuclear power plants in Shika Town, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. has 3 to 4 nuclear power plants in total, including Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 in Takahama Town, Fukui Prefecture, and Oi Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 to 2 in Oi Town, Fukui Prefecture.

▽ Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc. is one of the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 in Matsue City.

▽ Shikoku Electric Power Company is one of the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 in Ikata Town, Ehime Prefecture.

▽ Kyushu Electric Power is one of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 in Genkai Town, Saga Prefecture.

▽ Japan Atomic Power Company has two nuclear power plants, Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture and Tokai No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant in Tokai Village, Ibaraki Prefecture.

And

▽ Electric Power Development is one of the Oma nuclear power plants in Oma Town, Aomori Prefecture.

Unlike other nuclear power plants, the Oma nuclear power plant can only put special nuclear fuel containing plutonium into the reactor.

For power development, TEPCO and Chugoku Electric Power will take over part of the plutonium stored in France.

Only 4 units after the nuclear accident

After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that occurred 10 years ago in 2011, the number of operating nuclear power plants has been limited, and pull thermal power generation has not progressed. So far, Kansai Electric Power's Takahama nuclear power plants Units 3 and 4, Shikoku There are only four units in total, including the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 of Electric Power Company and the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 of Kyushu Electric Power Company.

On the other hand, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan reviewed the implementation target of pull thermal for the first time in 11 years in December last year, and set it to "at least 12 units by 2030", but it assumed pull thermal in addition to the four restarted units. Currently, only four units are undergoing national review.

If the reprocessing plant in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture, goes into full-scale operation in the future, plutonium will be newly extracted in Japan, and there is a risk that the amount of plutonium possessed will increase.