Operator’s Experience on Random Inspection for Reprocessing Plant at JNC-1 site

Regarding the Integrated Safeguards (IS) for JNC-1 site which consists of six facilities such as Reprocessing plant, MOX fuel fabrication facilities, its discussion for application started in June 2004 between the government of Japan and IAEA, its concept was agreed in November 2006, and it has been introduced since August 2008 and the facilities in JNC-1 site are world’s first Plutonium handling facility to introduce Integrated Safeguards. With IS for JNC-1, for the purpose to improve deterrence of the nuclear material diversion, the traditional interim inventory verification (IIV) that had been implemented as previously scheduled inspection has changed to random interim inspection with short notice (RII.) The Tokai Reprocessing Center consists of two facilities; TRP and PCDF, and has nuclear materials from the spent fuel to the MOX powder. The IIV needed about 5 person-days of inspectors for TRP and about 7 person-days of inspectors for PCDF. It was discussed to make RII procedure that makes it possible to perform such short notice inspection and reduce the person-days by about 2 for each RII. Although it was discussed that what and how frequently information was provided to inspectors in order them to make a plan to implement RIIs. After the introduction of RII, the person-days of TRP and PCDF were decreased even though the operators’ work loads for information provision are increased. This paper reports development of the method, experience and expected effectiveness regarding RII to the Tokai Reprocessing Center in the viewpoint of its operator.