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Japan seeks enrichment partner

Wednesday, 28 February 2007

Talks are in progress between Russia and Japan over the enrichment of uranium recovered from the recycling of used nuclear fuel. It is Japan's policy to recycle its nuclear fuel to limit the amount of uranium it has to import and to reduce the amount of waste for disposal.

Russia's prime minister, Mikhail Fradkov led a Russian delegation, which included several cabinet ministers to meet their Japanese counterparts, led by prime minister Shinzo Abe. As well as nuclear fuel supplies, the politicians also discussed other energy security issues.

At a Tokyo press conference, trade minister Akira Amari said: "Regarding uranium enrichment, it is important to broaden our options." He added that "Russia can be an important partner for Japan" for enrichment of recycled uranium and that international discussion of safeguarding Japanese nuclear materials in Russian plants would be key to any agreements. A bilateral agreement between Japan and Russia is likely to be necessary before commercial contracts could be signed.

Japan must import 80% of its energy resources, including the nuclear fuel that provides 30% of electricity. It has long been government policy to recycle used nuclear fuel to extract reusable uranium and plutonium. Japan now has stocks of uranium recovered from previous reprocessing campaigns amounting to 6400 tonnes. This is currently stored in France and the UK, where the reprocessing was carried out.

Before reuse as fresh uranium dioxide fuel, such material (around 1% U-235) must be enriched again (to 3-5% U-235) for use in a power reactor, but Japan does not have significant domestic uranium enrichment capacity. In addition, the isotopic composition of recycled uranium means it must be handled separately from fresh uranium.

Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun has reported that the Japanese government along with nuclear utilities is entering the "final stage of negotiations" to have stocks held in Europe enriched in Russia. That country has surplus enrichment capacity left over from Soviet days. In addition, natural uranium from projects in Kazakhstan in which Japanese companies have interests could be enriched in Russia.

Besides enriching recovered uranium for use as conventional uranium dioxide nuclear fuel, Japan also intends to use it instead of depleted uranium with recovered plutonium oxides as mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. A reprocessing plant at Rokkasho is approaching commercial operation, with a neighbouring MOX fuel fabrication facility planned to operate in 2012. In time, 18 of Japan's current 55 power reactors are expected to use MOX.

Further information

WNA's Nuclear Power in Japan information paper