The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has delayed the completion of the work to solidify high-level radioactive waste liquid with glass at a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing facility in Tokai Village, Ibaraki Prefecture, by 10 years from the original plan to the end of fiscal 2038.
At the reprocessing facility in Tokaimura, high-level radioactive waste liquid generated after processing spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants is stored and cooled, but work has been carried out since 2016 to solidify it with glass to make it stable in order to reduce the risk of accidents.
The work was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of fiscal 2028, but due to a series of equipment failures, the work was often stopped, and the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) asked for a review of the plan.
At the meeting of the NRA on the 20th, JAEA presented a new plan, explaining that the completion date of the work had been delayed by 10 years to the end of FY2038 as a result of taking into account the expected equipment failures and other factors based on the progress of the work so far.
In response, the regulator was
required to concretely outline the possible risks and
formulate a plan with a view to the construction of new facilities in order to proceed steadily.
At the reprocessing facility in Tokai Village, we plan to make 880 "vitrified solids" made from waste liquid hardened with glass, but only 354 bottles have been made so far.