Press Release
Agreement on a General Framework for Future MOX Fuel Processing of Plutonium Recovered in Britain
May 13, 2010
Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.
Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc.
Chubu Electric Power Co.,Inc.
Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Inc.
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
The Japan Atomic Power Co., Inc.
The 10 electric power companies issuing this press release have a basic policy to process plutonium recovered by subcontractors overseas into MOX fuel overseas and use it for pluthermal electrical power generation.
Following this policy, the 10 electric power companies have been holding talks with the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) so that all plutonium recovered in Britain can also be processed into MOX fuel in Britain. We have now agreed on a general framework for future MOX fuel processing at the Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP) owned by NDA in Sellafield, England.
Under this agreement, production capacity enhancement measures have been decided with NDA to ensure that future MOX fuel processing at SMP will be economically viable. Other items decided on include determining what costs each party will bear for these measures and basic principles relating to the processing of MOX fuel.
Furthermore, each electric power company plans to proceed with its own pluthermal plan while winning understanding from local people, so arrangements for future MOX fuel processing at SMP will be based on the respective conditions at each company and processing will take place when said conditions are in order.