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Japan on Tuesday approved an energy plan that sets
ambitious targets for nuclear energy use and sustains a struggling
program for spent-fuel recycling despite setbacks after the 2011
Fukushima disaster.
The plan approved Tuesday
by the Cabinet noted for the first time the need to draw down the
plutonium stockpile, given international security concerns. The
stockpile results from technical challenges in achieving fuel recycling
and from slow restarts of reactors to burn it amid widespread
anti-nuclear sentiment.
Japan repeatedly has
stated its commitment to transparency and appropriate handling of the
plutonium, but the U.S. in particular has raised concerns in recent
years. It has urged Japan to suspend the planned launch of its key
reprocessing plant in northern Japan's Rokkasho. It is in the final
stages of safety approvals that have been postponed more than 20 times
due to technical issues.
Japan is scrapping its
failed plutonium-burning test reactor Monju, which was meant to be the
centerpiece of its fuel recycling program. It never really functioned
after a 1995 accident, causing a major setback to Japan's plutonium
balance.
Despite criticism and opposition, Japan is still seeking to develop a replacement for it.
"The
energy plan makes clearer our commitment to reducing the amount" of
plutonium, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko told
reporters. "The government will actively work to appropriately manage,
use and reduce the plutonium."
The plan, however, did not give a timeline or other details for shrinking the stockpile.
Japan
has nearly 47 tons of plutonium, more than three-quarters of which is
kept in France and Britain where Japanese spent fuel has been
reprocessed since Japan is not able to reprocess it into plutonium-based
MOX fuel pellets at home. The total is enough to make 6,000 atomic
bombs, though the Rokkasho plant operator has insisted there is no risk
of proliferation, saying all plutonium is stored safely and closely
monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The
energy plan calls for further development of renewable energy but still
stipulates that nuclear energy should account for 20 to 22 percent of
Japan's power generation by fiscal 2030. It sets a 22 to 24 percent
target for renewable energy, with the remainder coming from fossil fuels
in line with goals set in 2015. The plan urges further progress in
meeting pledges to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent from 2013
levels by fiscal 2050.
Experts say attaining
that goal is almost impossible since utilities are opting to scrap aging
reactors rather than to invest in meeting tighter post-disaster safety
standards. Uncertainty over what to do with massive radioactive waste in
the crowded and earthquake-prone island nation is another big concern.
Takeo
Kikkawa, a Tokyo University of Science professor and energy expert,
told Japan's NHK television the plan fails to provide realistic plans
for increasing use of renewable energy.
"If Japan still has no clear vision, it should study multiple scenarios," he said.
Japanese utilities have decided to scrap 19 reactors, cutting the number of usable reactors to 35.
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