Dangerous pluthermal reactor starts up

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Dangerous pluthermal reactor starts up

Kyushu Electric Power Co. (Kyuden) on November 5 began test operations of its No. 3 nuclear power reactor using plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for the first time in Japan at its Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture. Commercial operations are scheduled for December after the government’s inspection.

The “pluthermal” project uses MOX fuel (mixed-oxide of plutonium and uranium extracted from spent fuel) burnt in light-water reactors as fuel for power generation.

It has been pointed out by experts in the field that the use of MOX fuel increases the dangers associated with nuclear power plants because plutonium highly volatile and is extremely radioactive, and to control the safety of reactor is much more difficult than using ordinary uranium fuel.

Fujiura Akira, Japanese Communist Party Genkai town assembly member along with other local residents lodged a protest on the same day with the power company, demanding the operation be stopped. They said, “Genkai Town should not be turned into a nuclear test site.”

Noguchi Kunikazu, chair of the Japan Scientists’ Association Research Committee on Energy and Nuclear Power Problems pointed out that “the pluthermal system has few advantages in regard to the effective use of resources, is not economical, and produces unburnable plutonium which is difficult to dispose of.”

“Why does the government insist on pushing ahead with this problematic, unnecessary, and unsafe pluthermal program?” he said.

- Akahata, November 6, 2009