Energy News  
Japan Begins Controversial Uranium Test To Recycle Nuclear Fuel

Employees of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. applaud as they begin tests using uranium at a plant in Rokkasho, northern Japan, 21 December 2004. The joint venture set up by Japan's nine power companies and other firms, began the one-year tests using depleted uranium after 13 postponements, taking a major step towards recycling spent nuclear fuel amid concern over safety. Image by AFP Photo/JIJI Press

Tokyo (AFP) Dec 21, 2004
Japanese power companies began tests using uranium Tuesday after 13 delays, in a major step of a project to reprocess spent nuclear fuel that is opposed by environmentalists concerned about safety.

Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd., set up by the nation's nine regional power companies and other firms, began the one-year tests with depleted uranium at a plant in Rokkasho-mura on the northern tip of the main island Honshu.

The recycling of spent nuclear fuel is billed as a way to reuse resources. The technology is already used in Europe and Russia, leading Japan to ship its spent fuel overseas.

"Our journey has not always been easy but today's start of uranium tests is a big step towards reprocessing," Japan Nuclear president Isami Kojima said in a televised news conference in the village.

Scores of demonstrators holding up banners staged a rally outside the plant despite a blizzard, saying the research was unsafe.

The environmental group Greenpeace argues that reprocessing spent fuel does not eliminate nuclear waste, which is simply being repackaged in a way that remains dangerous, particularly during transport.

It took more than 11 years and two trillion yen (19.2 billion dollars) to build the reprocessing plant. A company spokesman said the tests were the first of a radioactive substance.

"We aim to check if facilities will work properly with the radioactive substance and if our manuals will function," the spokesman said.

The new tests mean the company has entered the third of four phases in the experiment with previous tests using water, air and acid, he said.

It expects to start the final round of tests using real spent nuclear fuel - or the de facto trial run of the plant - in about a year, with the aim of starting full-fledged operation of the facility in July 2006.

Japan's government and electric industry want to extract plutonium from spent fuel, enrich it and mix it with uranium oxide to create MOX fuel, which is then burned in light-water reactors.

The Rokkasho-mura plant initially wanted to start uranium tests in May 2001 but the plan has been postponed 13 times to Tuesday due to construction problems on a fuel storage facility and opposition from residents.

Japan has been increasingly concerned about nuclear fuel since 1999 when three workers at a uranium processing plant at Tokaimura, 120 kilometresmiles) northeast of Tokyo, sparked criticism.

The accident exposed more than 400 residents to radiation in the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986. Two of the workers later died.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
Civil Nuclear Energy Science, Technology and News
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


India Calls For Action Against Nuclear Proliferators
New Delhi (AFP) Oct 24, 2005
India Monday urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take action against illegal proliferators of nuclear weapons technology such as Pakistan's disgraced scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.







  • Georgia Tech Developing Efficient Organic Solar Cell
  • Sonofusion Research Reactor Now Available from Impulse Devices
  • Analysis: Path 15 An Energy Breakthrough?
  • Electric Energy Security, Savings Goals Of Power Electronics Research

  • Japan Begins Controversial Uranium Test To Recycle Nuclear Fuel
  • Iran Makes Uranium Powder But Not Violating Nuclear Freeze - Diplomats
  • Brazil To Start Enriching Uranium Next Month: Official
  • Top Scientists Lash Australian States Over N-Waste 'Hysteria'





  • NASA Uses Remotely Piloted Airplane To Monitor Grapes



  • NASA's Famed B-52B "Mothership" Aircraft To Retire
  • EADS Faces Big Decision On Boeing Rival, Grapples With Internal Friction
  • Raytheon To Continue NASA Contract For Airspace Concepts Evaluation System
  • FAA And Raytheon To Modify FAA Contract To Provide Full LPV Performance For The WAAS

  • NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter
  • Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission
  • Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program
  • Boeing-Led Team to Study Nuclear-Powered Space Systems

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement