Nuclear Fuel Material Transportation in Japan

While Japan has not blessed with rich energy resources, it is essential for Japan to ensure energy security in order to sustain economic growth and social activities. To secure stable energy supply, establishing nuclear fuel recycling has a vital role in using and developing nuclear power. Therefore, it is essential and increasing its importance in the field of nuclear fuel cycle on safe and smooth transport among various nuclear fuel recycling facilities, enrichment plants, re-conversion plants, fuel fabrication plants, reprocessing plants, etc. In the nuclear fuel recycle policy of Japan, using plutonium thermal, that burns plutonium in the form of mixed oxide fuel(MOX fuel) with uranium in a Light Water Reactor, has been positively considered with views to utilize plutonium generated by spent fuel reprocessing and to achieve more effective use of uranium. Japanese government has a principle not to maintain excess plutonium and from this point of view, plutonium thermal use is the best way of utilizing plutonium. Japanese government, based on the cabinet approval \"Promotion Plan for Developing Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Feb.4 1997\", requested governors of three prefectures, Fukui, Fukushima and Niigata , where nuclear power plants are located, to accept implementing plutonium thermal use at those power plants and to assist it. When local governments and local communities accept it, plutonium thermal use would be promoted and it would be lead to a large amount of MOX fuel transportation. But the implementation of plutonium thermal use has been postponed, as it was opposed at the resident referendum held in Kariha-mura village, Niigata prefecture on May 2001.