Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (JNFL) is reportedly considering yet another delay in the completion of its spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori Prefecture. This would mark the 27th postponement since construction began in 1993.
Originally, JNFL had set a target to finish the plant, located in the village of Rokkasho, by the end of September. However, due to new regulatory requirements established after the March 2011 earthquake, which necessitate inspections by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), JNFL now believes it will need an additional 2½ years to meet these requirements.
The official decision on how long to push back the completion target will be made after a meeting held by NRA later this month. During this meeting, they will review and approve the plant’s designs and construction schedule.
The reprocessing plant plays a crucial role in Japan’s nuclear fuel cycle policy, where spent nuclear fuel from power plants is reprocessed to extract plutonium and uranium for further use as nuclear fuel. The central government has been actively promoting this policy.
Since its initial target completion date of 1997, JNFL has faced numerous delays primarily due to errors found in documents submitted by the operator to regulatory authorities.
In addition to this delay news, there are plans for a temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel set to open in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture by September. The central government has been considering using Rokkasho as a destination for spent fuel from this facility. However, if there are further delays with completing Rokkasho plant itself, concerns about securing an appropriate destination for spent fuel may arise.