Reflections on the Discussion for theFramework of Nuclear Energy Policy
Shunsuke KONDO
ChairmanJapan Atomic Energy Commission

Present Status of Nuclear Power
Generation in Japan 53 operating units produce about one-third of electricity

generated, contributing to Increase in Japan’s degree of self-sufficiency in primary energy

supply from 4% to 19%;
 Significant reduction in CO2 emission/kWh, contributing to thefulfillment of Kyoto Protocol to UNFCC;
 Stability of electricity price in spite of the jump of oil price.
 3 units are under construction and 8 units are in preparationfor the application of construction permit in 5 to 10 years.

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AEC Established the Framework for
Nuclear Energy Policy
 The Atomic Energy Commission established the “Frameworkfor Nuclear Energy Policy” in October 2005 based on thedeliberation at the New Nuclear Policy-Planning Council
comprising of not only leading experts in the nuclear energy
field but also representatives of various sectors of society,including local government, academia, industrial business,legal professions, mass media, citizen’s group and nongovernmental organizations who are either positive to or
critical of the promotion of nuclear energy.

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Goals of Nuclear Energy Policy
 Ensure the nuclear energy technology contribute to thesecurity of our society and the sustainable development of
human society in a manner that protect public health andsafety and environment and provide for excellence inperformance from the point of view of security, economy,sustainability, and a citizen of the world.
 ….

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Planning Basis for Nuclear Energy
Policy (1) Observation:
 Asian countries' dependence on the oil supply from theMiddle East region will increase due to the continued
growth in demand for fossil fuel in accordance with therapid economic growth in Asia.
 Due to the progress in the modernization of the society,the developing countries will increase the share of natural
gas in their energy supply as in the case of the developedcountries.
 Suggestion:
 Japan should improve the self-sufficiency ratio of energy

supply by increasing the use of non-fossil energy sources
like renewable energy and nuclear energy as the markets
for fossil energy resources will become tighter in future. 4

Planning Basis for Nuclear Energy
Policy (2) Observation: The climate change is one of the most dangerous

environmental problems as it affects all environmental
conditions and processes related with human well-being.
 Global fossil fuel use should be halved to stabilize
atmospheric CO2 concentrations below 550ppm.
 Suggestion:
 Japan should reduce the CO2 emissions in 2100 to lessthan 50% of the current level by increasing the share of
renewable energy and nuclear energy in primary energy
supply while improving the efficiency of energy utilization.
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Renewable Energy
 Renewable energy including hydro, solar, wind, biomass, andgeothermal can play an important role in Japan’s energy policy
from the viewpoint of environmental protection andimprovement of self-sufficiency ratio of energy.
 It is important to utilize it as much as reasonably achievable,
while continuing research and development for its economy
and stability of supply through technological innovations.
 The direction of future energy policy is to pursue not theutilization of nuclear energy “OR” renewable energy but theutilization of both nuclear energy “AND” renewable energy.

6Planning Basis for Nuclear EnergyPolicy (3) It is reasonable to expect that the electricity demand in Japan

will be stable while final energy consumption will decrease
due to the progress in energy conservation and the decreasein population.
 We should prepare ourselves in terms of institutional as wellas technological arrangements to be able to make the share ofnuclear power in electricity generation after the year 2030
similar to or greater than the current level of 30 to 40%.

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A Visual Image of Nuclear Power Generation
Capacity and its Composition in This Century(The installed capacity is assumed to saturate at 58GW for illustrative purpose.)

Installed Capacity [10MＷ]

7000

Existing LWR plants（60 year-life）

6000

5000

LWRs to be replaced（for 60 year-life plants）

4000

3000

2000

1000

Existing LWRplants（40 year-life）

FBRs

0

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

2030 2040 2050 2060 2070

[JFY]

2080 2090 2100

Nuclear Energy Policy Short-term Objectives
 Assure the safety and security of nuclear energy

generation through reducing accident risks andvulnerability to terrorist attack
 Make sure the safe disposal of radioactive wastes,especially that of high-level wastes.
 Improve the efficiency of the operation of existing plants
while adding new plants.
 Use the plutonium and uranium recovered through thereprocessing of spent fuel in LWRs.
9Nuclear Energy Policy Mid-term Objectives:
 prepare advanced nuclear power plant designs withimproved performance that can make nuclear powercompetitive in the social and economic conditions in themid century as candidates for the replacement of theretiring plants, taking into consideration the prediction thatsignificant number of nuclear power plants in operation
will start their retirement in 10 to 30 years.

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Nuclear Energy Policy
 Long-term Objectives
 Develop fast reactors and advanced fuel cycle technologies,

aiming at their commercial introduction at around 2050.
 Characteristics of fast reactors and it fuel cycle systems to bepursued:
 Enhanced safety and reliability performance consistent with therequirement of neighbor friendliness;
 Sufficient security in terms of proliferation resistance and physicalprotection; and Manageable nuclear waste, effective fuel utilization, and increased
environmental benefits, consistent with such national goal ofpursuing “recycling based society” through reducing, reusing, andrecycling of wastes.
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The Japanese Strategy of Nuclear Fuel Materials
Management in the First Half of this Century
 Japan pursue a recycling option for management of nuclear

fuel materials.
 Spent fuel is reprocessed by the Purex process, which
separates uranium and plutonium, and directs remaining
transuranics to vitrified waste, along with all the fission
products.
 The uranium is stored for eventual reuse. The plutonium isused to fabricate mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for LWRs. Spent
MOX fuel will not be reprocessed for the time being as thereprocessing capacity available is limited.
12Advantages and Disadvantages of theRecycling Approach Advantages:
 The approach helps significantly reduce the volume of spent

nuclear fuel, as well as the high level wastes to be disposed of.
 It can help manage the accumulation of plutonium.
 It can improve the utilization of natural uranium around 15%.
 It is a good precursor for the closed fuel cycle based on fast
reactors to be established in the latter half of this century.
 Disadvantages:
 It results in an economic penalty over the no-recycle option: theincreases in cost of electricity is about 10%.
 The existence of the facility to separate pure plutonium isconsidered by some to increase a proliferation risk.
 Some claims that the use of various processes will increase
radioactivity release.
13Issues in Fuel Cycle Debate
 Should we accept the claim that various delays in theactivities and cost over-run suggests that to close fuel cycles
in consistent with the requirement to reduce their risks to an
acceptable level is difficult to realize and uneconomical evenif it realize as compared with the strategy to dispose the spent
fuel as waste?
 How do we evaluate the values of various activities toward
the achievement of the nuclear fuel cycles up to now anddiverse societal assets accumulated with this such astechnologies, relationships of trust with communities, various
international agreements, etc. as resources to be preserved
for future?
14Review Conclusion
 Pursue the recycling of fuel materials through reprocessing

from the viewpoint of utilizing nuclear power as a long-term
and major method of power generation
 Be flexible in realization of activities planned through rigorous
risk assessment and management
 Review the policy as the things being changed.

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Multilateral Approaches to the Nuclear
Fuel Cycle
 Dr. El Baradei, Director General of the IAEA proposed theestablishment of a new system to maintain and strengthen theinternational nuclear non-proliferation regimes.
 Japan should cooperate with the IAEA to realize multilateralschemes that can reduce unnecessary incentive for states tohave national enrichment and reprocessing facilities, byproviding not only her ideas and experiences but also hertechnologies and capabilities of activities if they areappropriate, to devise and implement an equitable, adequate
and achievable framework to assure the supply of nuclear
energy services to international community.
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Concluding Remarks (1) Economy, environment and security are the core of theenergy problem and thus energy policy.
 There are dilemma in energy policy such as cost reduction
versus environmental protection and nuclear energy
production versus nuclear risk reduction.
 It is desirable to expand the use of nuclear energy byrectifying the defects and improving the competitiveness ofthe technologies as we are definitely required to increasecarbon-free energy supply to stabilize atmospheric CO2
concentration.

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Concluding Remarks (2) As technologies can generally changed only slowly and at

considerable cost, the social rate of return of the investment
into nuclear energy R&D to the world as a whole is higher
than to the individual countries. Co-ordination of research
activities beyond national prestige to reduce the duplication ofeffort at the world level must be an absolute priority andworld nuclear community should pursue coordination ofefforts in research and development needed to realize therequired technological innovations in a timely manner.
 Japan is determined to enjoy the benefit of nuclear energy
while contributing to this kind of efforts as well as theircoordination for the benefit of global community.

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