R&D Program for Interim Storage of Spent Fuel in CRIEPI

Japan has consistently promoted the closed nuclear fuel cycle to achieve a stable supply of energy for the future and to minimize environmental impact. A domestic commercial reprocessing plant, with a capacity of 800tU/a, is under construction. The aim is to be operational by 2005. However, the rate of spent fuel arising in Japan will be more than the reprocessing plant's capacity. It is estimated that in 2010 interim-storage facilities of spent fuel, whose capacity will be about 7,700tU, will have to be constructed as away-fromreactor sites. In 1999, a revised bill, which specifies operational and regulatory conditions for interim-storage facilities away-from-reactor sites, passed the Diet and it was put into force in June 2000. At present, an advisory committee of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of the Japanese government is now discussing APR storage. A private entity, which will be licensed by the government, will be able to construct the interim-storage facilities APR sites. Research and development on spent-fuel storage has been carried out by the government and the electric power companies, particularly aiming at the realization of dry-storage away from reactor in 2010 (Shirai, 1999). CRIEPI, the Central Research Institute of the Electric Power Industry, has been involved in R&D programs on spent-fuel storage technologies and long-term storage on behalf of MITI.