英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Boost nation’s N-fuel cycle project steadily with govt involvement
核燃料サイクル　国の関与で確実に推進したい

A system restructure is needed in order to push the nation’s nuclear fuel cycle program forward.
　核燃料サイクル事業を推進するためには、必要な体制整備である。

The government has decided to transfer the management of a project to reprocess nuclear power plants’ spent fuel from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), a private entity, to a new, authorized corporation. The government will submit a related bill to the ordinary session of the Diet next year.
　原子力発電所から出る使用済み核燃料の再処理事業について、政府は、民間の日本原燃から、新たな認可法人に運営を移管する方針を決めた。来年の通常国会に関連法案を提出する。

The nuclear fuel cycle is a scheme in which plutonium and uranium are extracted from spent nuclear fuel and reused. The fuel cycle takes on an important role for resource-poor Japan when viewed from the standpoint of its energy security.
　核燃料サイクルは、使用済み核燃料からプルトニウムとウランを取り出し、再利用する仕組みだ。資源に乏しい日本にとって、エネルギー安全保障の観点から重要な役割を担う。

Since the government promotes the nuclear fuel cycle as a national policy, it is only reasonable for the government to increase its involvement in the project by transferring the management of the reprocessing project.
　国策として核燃料サイクルを推進する以上、運営移管により政府の関与を強めるのは当然だ。

With the liberalization of the energy market slated to start next spring, leading utilities will be exposed to competition from new entrants to the market. Should the corporate management of leading power companies come under pressure from the increased competition, forcing them to suspend the supply of human resources and funds to the JAEA, the continuation of the nuclear fuel cycle project will be at risk.
　来春からの電力自由化により、電力大手は新規参入組との競争にさらされる。電力大手の経営が圧迫され、原燃への人材と資金の提供がストップすれば、核燃料サイクル事業の存続は危うくなる。

Unless the nuclear fuel cycle is realized, spent nuclear fuel, now kept in storage at nuclear power plants, will have nowhere to go, impeding the operation of nuclear power plants.
　核燃料サイクルを実現させないと、各原発に保管されている使用済み核燃料の行き場がなくなり、原発の稼働に支障を来す。

In order to avoid such a development, it will be necessary to have the authorized corporation function effectively.
　こうした事態を避けるためには、認可法人を有効に機能させる必要があろう。

Work has been slow

The authorized entity will supervise the JAEA, which will be entrusted by the entity with the operation of the recycling project. The leading electric power companies will be obliged to contribute financially to the authorized entity.
　認可法人は、業務委託先となる日本原燃を監督する。電力大手には、認可法人への拠出金の支払いが義務づけられる。

Under the system that has existed up to now, with the JAEA being the core of the project, the nuclear fuel cycle project did not make the progress that had been hoped for. Therefore, the authorized corporation’s responsibility is heavy.
　日本原燃が中核だったこれまでの体制では、核燃料サイクル事業が思うように進展しなかっただけに、認可法人の責任は重い。

The leading power companies that own nuclear power plants also need to continue cooperating with the nuclear fuel cycle project.
　原発を所有する電力大手も、核燃料サイクル事業に引き続き協力していかねばならない。

The biggest concern is that the start of operations of a plant for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, now under construction in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, has been delayed by as much as about 20 years. The construction cost has also swollen from the original estimate of \760 billion to over \2 trillion.
　最大の懸案は、青森県六ヶ所村に建設中の使用済み核燃料再処理工場の稼働が、予定より約２０年も遅れていることだ。建設費も、当初の７６００億円から２兆円以上に膨らんだ。

The authorized corporation will be required to oversee strict management of progress in the work, including the operation of such facilities as a plant to process mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel, a blend of reprocessed plutonium and uranium. It is also important to have the JAEA make thorough cost-cutting efforts.
　再処理されたウラン・プルトニウム混合酸化物（ＭＯＸ）燃料の加工工場などの稼働も含め、認可法人には、厳しい工程管理が求められる。日本原燃にコスト削減を徹底させることも重要である。

Should plutonium, which can be used to produce nuclear weapons, be continuously kept in storage, with no prospect of being used for energy, it may arouse concern among foreign countries. The government needs to demonstrate that it will definitely use plutonium as fuel at nuclear power plants.
　核兵器に転用できるプルトニウムを、使うメドが立たないまま保有し続ければ、海外から懸念を持たれかねない。政府は、プルトニウムを原発の燃料として確実に利用することを示す必要がある。

Together with the operation of the reprocessing plant, it is essential to restart existing nuclear power plants that use the MOX fuel.
　再処理工場の稼働とともに、ＭＯＸ燃料を使用する既存の原発の再稼働が欠かせない。

Regarding the Oma nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture, which will have a new type of reactor capable of generating power using MOX without other fuel, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) should proceed promptly with its examination toward the start of operation.
ＭＯＸ燃料だけで発電する新型の大間原発（青森県）についても、運転開始に向け、原子力規制委員会は迅速に審査を進めるべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 10, 2015)