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Japanese Company To Order Recycled Nuclear Fuel From France
Tokyo (AFP) Nov 22, 2006 A regional Japanese power company said Wednesday it will order recycled nuclear fuel from France's Melox as resource-poor Japan steps up its use of nuclear energy despite controversy. Shikoku Electric Power Company, which manages power plants on Japan's southwestern island of Shikoku, said it will sign the contract next week for mixed plutonium-uranium oxide (MOX), which is made partially from spent nuclear fuel. Shikoku Electric eyes to launch the plutonium-thermal project by the business year to March 2011 at its Ikata nuclear plants in Ehime prefecture. "We plan to ask Melox to make 21 MOX fuels from the 0.6 tons of plutonium that the company owns in France," a company spokesman said. "We expect the fuels to be produced by the year 2008 before being shipped to Japan." The government of Japan, which has scarce natural energy resources, has been encouraging recycled fuel, aiming to power 16 to 18 nuclear plants with it by the fiscal year 2010. But only two localities have agreed to host pluthermal projects due to strong opposition from residents, particularly after a series of scandals and accidents. In August 2004, a steam burst from a ruptured pipe killed five workers at a nuclear power plant run by Kansai Electric Power Co. in central Japan, forcing its pluthermal project to be postponed indefinitely. Kyushu Electric Power Company, which owns the Genkai plant in southern Japan that will be one of Japan's first to use the pluthermal process, has a deal with another French firm to produce MOX fuels. "We decided to have the deal with Melox because of its high level of technology and also because it is a nuclear plant maker as well," Shikoku Electric's spokesman said.
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Iran Ready For IAEA Checks If UN Gives Up Nuclear file
Tehran (RIA Novosti) Nov 17, 2006Tehran is ready to discuss renewed inspections by the United Nations nuclear watchdog if the UN Security Council halts its consideration of the Iranian nuclear file, the country's top nuclear negotiator said Thursday. Iran insists that its controversial nuclear program is purely aimed at producing electricity, and denies international accusations that it is building an atom bomb. |
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