Reprocessing

1. Reprocessing technologies
    Japan has chosen the most proven reprocessing technology, the PUREX process, for reprocessing spent nuclear fuels from the nuclear power plants. The nuclear fuel reprocessing is one of the key elements to complete the nuclear fuel cycle and secure national energy needs of Japan. The main process technologies have been transferred from France.
    The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (former Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Corporation, PNC) started in 1977 its nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Tokai-mura (full operation of 210 tons per year since 1981). After the interrupted operation due to the fire explosion accident in 1997 of its asphalt solidification facility, it resumed operation in November 2000. The accumulated amount of reprocessed uranium reached about 1000 tons in June 2002.

   The Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd., is constructing a commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing complex (maximum capacity 88 tons per year) in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture. The construction started in 1993 and the full operation is scheduled for 2008 (as of February 2008).

   Copyright(C)JAEA

   
   
2. Brief History of the Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Project at Rokkasho
   

   December 1992	The Japan Nuclear Fuel, Ltd., licensed to the reprocessing business.
   May 1993	The nuclear fuel reprocessing plant construction started.
   December 1999	The reprocessing business started (The Spent Fuel Storage Facility started operation).
   April 2001	Cold water test started on the reprocessing main processes.
   November 2002	Chemical test started.
   December 2004	Uranium test started.
   March 2006	The integral test (the active test) started. using spent fuels

   
   
3. Reprocessing and the NSC

   1)	April 2003, the NSC has chosen the regulatory activities of the Rokkasho plant active test as its subsequent regulation review item based on the "Implementation Guidance of the Subsequent Regulation Review"(NSC Decision in 2003)
   2)	The NSC established the dedicated Project Team on Safety Survey of Reprocessing Facilities for the review. The Team was convened 20 times as of March 2008.
   3)	The NSC issued in April 2004 the "Safety considerations due in the planned uranium test at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Facilities of the Japan Nuclear Fuel, Ltd.(NSC Decision in 2004) "and in December 2005 the "Considerations due in the active tests on the nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (NSC 2005-1226)
   4)	The Team reported in February 2006 its deliberation results to the NSC on the NISA report of its appraisal of the active test programs proposed by the JNFL.
   5)	The integral active tests started in March 2006. As of December 2006 of the year, upon completion of the first two steps out of five, the Team evaluated the test results from the safety point of view and reported the results to the NSC.
   6)	The third step in the second half of the active tests started in January 2007 and ended in April.
   7)	The Step 4 is suspended in April 2007 until the completion of the comprehensive safety checks and necessary corrective actions, when the errors (miss-calculations) were found, and reported to NISA, in the seismic safety analyses of some buildings. The errors were found in the process of the so-called "Back-checks” in response to the revised Seismic Safety Review Guide (NSCRG L-D-I.02) authorized in 2006.

• Safety considerations due in the planned uranium test at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Facilities of the Japan Nuclear Fuel, Ltd. (NSC 2004-0415)
• Considerations due in the active tests on the nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (NSC 2005-1226)
• Endorsement of the integrated test (active test) programs using spent fuels at the Rokkasho nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (NSC 2006-D5)