Due to delays in the completion of the reprocessing plant for spent nuclear fuel in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture, Kansai Electric Power Co. has been forced to reconsider its plan to transport the fuel outside of Fukui Prefecture, which was scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2026. President Mori Nozomu said that the plan would be reviewed by the end of this fiscal year, but the completion of the reprocessing facility is not in sight, and local distrust remains strong. If local residents are not convinced, the continued operation of the prefecture’s nuclear power plant, which has been in operation for over 40 years, may be in jeopardy.

“We want to steadily secure the necessary capacity to transport spent nuclear fuel and gain the trust of the prefecture’s residents,” KEPCO President Mori said on the afternoon of the 5th, expressing his firm determination to work toward formulating a new plan.

However, the Rokkasho reprocessing plant was originally scheduled to be completed in 1997, 27 years ago, but was postponed 27 times due to repeated problems.

KEPCO will review its removal plan in light of Japan Nuclear Fuel’s new reprocessing plant operation plan. Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto said, “I want them to show it as soon as possible, not by the end of the fiscal year,” but whether an effective plan can be made depends on the outlook for the completion of the reprocessing plant, and is uncertain.

KEPCO has also promised the prefecture that “unless we can secure a place outside the prefecture to transport the spent nuclear fuel, we will not continue operating Mihama Unit 3, Takahama Units 1 and 2, which have been in operation for over 40 years.” If the transportation plan is not accepted by the local community, it will be difficult to continue operating these nuclear power plants.

In the prefecture, the pools for storing spent nuclear fuel from the seven operating nuclear power plants are expected to reach capacity in about four years, and the situation is becoming urgent. As one of the countermeasures, KEPCO has applied to the Nuclear Regulation Authority for permission to set up a “dry storage facility” to temporarily store nuclear fuel on the nuclear power plant site until it can be removed.

However, this is not a fundamental solution, and efforts to gain the consent of local residents regarding the operation of the reprocessing plant and the process of transporting the waste outside the prefecture are essential. (Kuwashima Hirotoshi)