Provisional Translation

The Status Report of Plutonium Management in Japan - 2019 August, 21, 2020
Office of Atomic Energy Policy
Cabinet Office1.

Preface
Japan has been limiting its research, development and use of nuclear power
exclusively for peaceful purposes under the Atomic Energy Basic Act.
From the viewpoint of peaceful use under the Act on the Regulation of Nuclear
Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors, and under the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), all nuclear materials and activities inJapan are subject to the stringent safeguards implemented by the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), thus guaranteeing the peaceful use of nuclear energy
in Japan*.
In addition, Japan upholds the principles of not possessing plutonium without
specific purposes guided by the policy of peaceful use. Given the importance ofenhancing transparency and gaining public understanding on use of plutonium athome and abroad, Japan has published the status report of management of
unirradiated separated plutonium (hereinafter referred to as “separated plutonium”)
including usage and stockpile both within and outside of Japan since 1994. Moreover,Japan has also reported the status annually to the IAEA in conformity with the“Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium.” In this report, Japan voluntarily
publishes the use, storage status and other items at each facility in a more detailed
manner than required by ”the Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium” to further
improve its transparency.

2. The Current Status of Separated Plutonium Management in Japan(1) Overview
As of the end of 2019, the total amount of separated plutonium both managed
within and outside of Japan was approximately 45.5 tons, approximately 8.9 tons ofwhich was held domestically and the rest of approximately 36.6 tons was held abroad.
The amount of domestic storage was approximately 8.9 tons at the end of 2019,as electric utilities (Kyushu Genkai unit 3) irradiated approximately 0.2 tons ofseparated plutonium.
The stockpile held abroad was separated from spent fuel of Japanese nuclear
power plants in reprocessing facilities in the U.K., and France under contracts withJapanese electric utilities. ①Reprocessing of spent fuel contracted out to France has
been completed and approximately 15.4 tons of separated plutonium is held there asof the end of 2019. ②As for the reprocessing of spent fuel contracted out to the U.K.,
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Provisional Translation

approximately 21.2 tons of separated plutonium is counted as the stockpile and held
there as of the end of 2019, and approximately 0.6 ton of plutonium uncounted is
expected to be added to the stockpile after 2020.
The Status of Separated Plutonium Management<Unit: t Pu>

Total
Held in Japan(Total)Held abroad

Breakdown

U.K.
FranceAs of the end of
2018
45.7
9.0
36.7
21.2
15.5

As of the end of
2019
45.5
8.9
36.6
21.2
15.4

(Note) All figure are approximate numbers.
(2) The Data in the Attachment
The status of separated plutonium management in Japan as of the end of 2019 isgiven bellow. The amounts of separated plutonium in tables are given in kilograms
unless otherwise mentioned. Figures in brackets are the data published last year.
“Separated plutonium held in Japan” in Section 1-(1) of the Attachment is unirradiatedseparated plutonium in the process between separation from spent fuel, fabrication
into MOX fuel powder at reprocessing facilities, fabrication into MOX fuel assemblies
from MOX fuel powder at fuel fabrication facilities, and loaded into a reactor core but
yet to be irradiated. Such plutonium is held in the following facilities:
1) Reprocessing facilities: in the state of plutonium nitrate in the separation andpurification processes, or of plutonium oxide both in the co-conversion
process and in containers.
2) Fuel fabrication facilities: plutonium oxide held as raw materials, in the stage oftesting or fabrication, or contained in newly fabricated fuels.
3) Nuclear reactors and other facilities: plutonium oxide contained in unirradiatedfuels held at Joyo, Monju and commercial reactor sites (this includes
unirradiated MOX fuels loaded into the reactor core but yet to be irradiated,and such fuels unloaded from the reactor core without having been irradiated),
and those held for research at R & D facilities of universities or institutes, andthose in fuels for critical assemblies.
“Separated plutonium held abroad” in Section 1-(2) of the Attachment is plutonium thathas been separated by reprocessors in the U.K. and France under contracts withJapanese electric utilities, but not yet returned to Japan. Basically, such plutonium is
to be fabricated into MOX fuels overseas and be utilized at light water reactors(LWRs) in Japan.
2

Provisional Translation“Utilization of separated plutonium from Jan. to Dec., 2019” in Sections 2-(1), (2), and(3) of the Attachment is to provide further clarity of the plutonium management. It
shows the amount of plutonium oxide form recovered at reprocessing facilities, thenet amount of plutonium transferred to fabrication process of the fuel fabrication
facilities and the amount of unirradiated MOX fuels loaded into the reactors andirradiated.

*：The broader conclusion for Japan （2019）
Under the Treaty on the NPT, based on the Comprehensive Safeguards
Agreement concluded with the IAEA and its Additional Protocol, Japan accepts
safeguards by the IAEA on all nuclear materials including plutonium in Japan.
The IAEA’s Board of Governors held in June 2020 affirmatively concluded that thesafeguards implemented by the IAEA in 2019 found that all nuclear material remainedin peaceful activities (the broader conclusion) on the basis that there are no indicationof the diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful nuclear activities and no
indication of undeclared nuclear material or activities in Japan.

[References]
Reference 1

The amount of separated plutonium held in nuclear reactors and otherfacilities in Japan as of the end of the year 2019.

Reference 2

The balance of separated plutonium held in Japan as of the end of theyear 2019.

Reference 3

The Status of Separated Plutonium in Japan (2019) (illustration)

Reference 4

The amount of plutonium held in Japan as of the end of the year 2019
published by the IAEA under the Guidelines for the Management of
Plutonium.

Reference 5

The amount of plutonium held in each country as of the end of the year2018 published by the IAEA under the Guidelines for the Management of
Plutonium.

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Provisional Translation

Attachment
The Status of Separated Plutonium Management in Japan as of the end of the year 2019
1. Separated plutonium in storage(Previous year’s figures in brackets)

Reprocessing Facilities(1) Separated plutonium held in Japan

Breakdown(Note 1)

<Unit: kg Pu>

Plutonium nitrate, etc. (Dissolved
into nitric acid for reprocessing)Plutonium oxide (held as mixed
oxide in containers)

Japan Atomic
Energy Agency(JAEA)
Tokai
Reprocessing
Plant

Japan Nuclear
Fuel Limited(JNFL)
Rokkasho
Reprocessing
Plant

Total

28(28)

274(274)

302(302)167(167)

3,329(3,329)

3,496(3,496)

195(195)

3,603(3,603)

3,799(3,798)

128(128)

2,341(2,341)

2,469(2,469)

Total
Fissile Plutonium(Note 1) Changes of the figures may occur not only from the conversion of plutonium nitrate into plutonium oxides,
but also from possible samplings for analysis and inspection purposes and the transfer between the
reprocessing, storage and fabrication facilities.

Fuel fabrication Facilities

JAEA
Plutonium Fuel Fabrication Facilities

Breakdown(Note 2)Plutonium oxide (held in plutoniumoxide containers)
Plutonium in the stage of testing or
fabrication
Unirradiated fuel, etc. (held as
finished fuel assemblies, etc.)

2,574(2,559)
898(913)446(446)
3,918(3,919)

Total
Fissile Plutonium

2,700(2,701)

Reactors and Other
Facilities(Note 2) Changes of the figures may occur not only from the material flows in the course of the fuel fabrication
processes, but also possibly from the movements of materials between material balance areas in a facility
caused by samplings for analysis, inspection purposes and safety check of plutonium oxide containers,
storing of unirradiated fuels.

Unirradiated fuel held at nuclear reactor sites, etc.

Joyo

Monju

Commercial
Reactors

134
(134)

280
(282)

616
(776)

R&D
Facilities(Note 3)113
(113)

1,143(1,305)
Total
Fissile Plutonium

799(904)(Note 3) “R&D Facilities” includes critical assemblies and other R&D facilities.

8,860(9,022)
Total
Fissile Plutonium

5,968(6,073)(2) Separated plutonium held abroad (Note 4)This is the plutonium that was separated by reprocessors in the U.K. and France under the reprocessing
contracts with Japanese electric utilities. Basically, this plutonium is to be fabricated into MOX fuels overseas, andbrought into Japan for use in light water reactors (LWRs). Thus, “Separated plutonium held abroad” should not be
a concern from the peaceful use point of view.

However, for the sake of better transparency, the current statusof separated plutonium held abroad for the fabrication of fuel is also shown below.

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Provisional Translation<Unit: kg Pu>
Separated plutonium
Fissile Plutonium
U.K.

21,180(21,205)

14,173(14,199)

France15,435(15,460)

9,988(10,013)

Total

36,615(36,666)

24,161(24,212)(Note 4) Nuclear losses (refer to Note 2 of Reference 2) are taken into account in the assessment of the amount of
plutonium held in reprocessing facilities.

2.

Utilization of separated plutonium from Jan. to Dec. 2019(Previous year’s figures in brackets)

Amount ofplutonium-oxide
recovered (Note5)(1) The amount of plutonium-oxide recovered <Unit: kg Pu>
JAEA
Tokai
Reprocessing
Plant

JNFL
Rokkasho
Reprocessing
Plant

Total

0(0)

0(0)

0(0)

(Note 5) “The amount of plutonium-oxide recovered” is defined as the amount of plutonium in oxide form (MOX
powder) converted from plutonium nitrate at reprocessing facilities.

Amount of
separated
plutonium in fuelfabrication
processes(Note 6 )(2) The amount of separated plutonium in fuel fabrication processes <Unit: kg Pu>
for Monju,
Joyo, etc.

0(0)(Note 6) “The amount of separated plutonium in fuel fabrication processes” is defined as the net amount of
plutonium transferred from raw materials storage areas into fabrication process areas at fuel fabrication
facilities.

Amount of MOX
fuel loaded andirradiated innuclearreactors(Note 7)(3) The amount of MOX fuel loaded and irradiated in nuclear reactors <Unit: kg Pu>
Nuclear Reactors

160(1,524)(Note 7) “The amount of MOX fuel loaded and irradiated in nuclear reactors” is defined as the amount of
unirradiated MOX fuel which was loaded in the nuclear reactors and then loaded into a reactor cores for use
as fuel and irradiated. The MOX fuels that are loaded into the reactor cores are either unirradiated or in theprocess of irradiation. For the sake of clarity, the figure here specifically refers to the loaded and irradiatedamount.
(Note 8) The total figures may not agree completely due to rounding.

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Provisional Translation[Reference 1]

The amount of separated plutonium held in nuclear reactors and other facilities in Japan as of the end of the year 2019.
(Reference Data)“Total amount of
unirradiated separated plutonium
loaded into the reactor cores by theend of the year 2019 “ minus “Totalamount of irradiated plutonium
unloaded from the reactor cores”(Note 3)
Total (kg Pu)
Fissile plutonium(kg Puf)

Plutonium held(Note 1)(Unirradiated separated plutonium)

Plutonium loaded into the reactors
out of the “Plutonium held” in theleft column (Note 2)(Unirradiated separated plutonium)

Total (kg Pu)

Fissile plutonium
in total(kg Puf)

Total (kg Pu)

Fissile plutonium(kg Puf)

Joyo

134

98

－

－

261

184

Monju

280

191

164

112

1,066

745

Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3

－

－

－

－

210

143

Kashiwazaki Kariwa Unit 3

205

138

－

－

－

－

213

145

－

－

－

－

Takahama Unit 3

－

－

－

－

1,269

805

Takahama Unit 4

－

－

－

－

887

557

Shikoku Electric Power Company Ikata Unit 3

198

136

－

－

633

436

Kyushu Electric Power Company Genkai Unit 3

－

－

－

－

1,477

984

87

72

15

11

11

9

Facility nameCommercial Reactors

Japan Atomic Energy Agency

Tokyo Electric Power
Company Holdings

Chubu Electric Power Company Hamaoka Unit 4
Kansai Electric Power
Company

ResearchandDevelopment
Facilities

Japan Atomic
EnergyAgencyOther facilities

Deuterium Critical Assembly in
Oarai R&D InstituteStatic Experiment Critical Facility
and Transient Experiment Critical
Facility in Nuclear Science
Research Institute(Note 1) Unirradiated separated plutonium held at the end of the year 2019
(Note 2) Plutonium loaded into the reactors out of the plutonium held at the end of the year 2019
During the year 2019, unirradiated separated plutonium equivalent to 160kg Pu was irradiated at Genkai Unit 3.
(Note 3) The figures represent the “Total amount of unirradiated separated plutonium loaded into the reactor cores by the end of the year 2019” subtracted by the “Total amount of irradiated plutonium unloaded
from the reactor cores by the end of the year 2019”. It is equivalent to the weight of plutonium of the unirradiated MOX fuel staying in the reactor cores at the end of the year 2019, For commercial
reactors, some irradiated fuels may be removed to spent fuel pools temporarily for facility periodic inspection.
Additional information for reference (as of the end of the year 2019):
・Irradiated plutonium contained in spent fuel in the storage facilities at reactor sites: 145,761kg Pu
・Irradiated plutonium contained in spent fuel in the storage facilities at reprocessing facilities: 26,734kg Pu
・Small amount of plutonium contained in radioactive waste and recognized as irrecoverable for the time being: 133kg Pu

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Provisional Translation[Reference 2]

The Balance of Separated Plutonium held in Japan as of the end of the year 2019.
Unit: kg Pu< Variations during the year 2019> (Note 1)
Total amount of plutonium newly loaded in reactors and irradiatedVariance in processes at facilities
Balance

△160
△ 1
△161

[JAEA Reprocessing Facility]
From separation and purification process to storage of raw material
at co-conversion process in the reprocessing facility(Note 1)
Inventory as of Jan. 1, 2019 (the end of the year 2018)
Plutonium shipped in (in 2019) : material for analysis
Plutonium shipped out (in 2019)
Variance in processes at reprocessing facility (Note 2)increase
Transfer to retained waste
andRetransfer from retained waste
decrease
Breakdown Nuclear loss
Measured discard
Material unaccounted for (MUF)
Inventory as of Dec. 31, 2019

195
0
△0
0
0.0
1.5
△ 0.1
△ 0.7
△ 0.4
195

[JAEA Plutonium Fuel Fabrication Facility]
From raw material of MOX to fuel assembly products (Note 1)＊

Inventory as of Jan. 1, 2019 (the end of the year 2018) (Note 3)
3,918＊
Plutonium shipped in (in 2019)0△0
Plutonium
shipped
out
(in
2019)
:
materialfor
analysisincrease
Variance in processes at fuel fabrication facilities (Note 2)0
anddecrease△ 0.1
Nuclear loss
Breakdown
Material unaccounted for (MUF)
0.1
Inventory as of Dec. 31, 2019
3,918
When JAEA conducted re-measurement to improve accuracy, the amount of plutonium decreased by 260g to
3,918kg.

[Nuclear Reactors and Other Facilities]“Joyo”, “Monju”, “Commercial Reactors”, and “R&D Facilities” (Note 1)
Inventory as of Jan. 1, 2019 (the end of the year 2018)

increaseanddecrease

Plutonium shipped in (in 2019)
Decrease by plutonium newly loaded in reactors and irradiated (in2019)
Plutonium shipped out (in 2019)

1
△ 160
△1
△ 2

Variance at reactor sites(Note 2)
Breakdown

1,305

Nuclear loss, etc.

Inventory as of Dec. 31, 2019

△ 2.0
1,143

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Provisional Translation[JNFL Reprocessing Plant]
From separation and purification process to storage of raw material
at mixed conversion process in the reprocessing facility (Note 1)
Inventory as of Jan. 1, 2019 (the end of the year 2018)
Plutonium shipped in (in 2019): material for analysis
Plutonium shipped out (in 2019): material for analysis
Variance in processes at reprocessing facility (Note 2)increase
Transfer to retained waste
anddecrease
Retransfer from retained waste
Breakdown
Nuclear loss
Material unaccounted for (MUF)
Inventory as of Dec. 31, 2019

3,603
0
△0
0
△ 0.1
0.0
△ 0.7
1.2
3,603

(Note 1) The total may not agree due to rounding. “△” indicates consequential decrease.
(Note 2) The variances in processes at each facility includes, in addition to receipts into and shipments from the facility,
inventory change in the material control and accounting (shipper/receiver difference, transfer to retained waste,
retransfer from retained waste, nuclear loss, measured discard and so on), and material unaccounted for. The
definition of inventory change and material unaccounted for are described below. These are concepts
recognized internationally in the measurement and control of nuclear fuel materials. The variance that causes
the reduction of inventory is shown with “△”.
 Shipper/receiver difference:
The difference between the quantity of nuclear fuel materials as status by the shipping side and that as
measured by the receiving side when nuclear fuel materials are transferred between different facilities.
 Transfer to retained waste:
Amount of the nuclear fuel materials that are removed from the book inventory, which is deemed to be in
unrecoverable status for the time being but which is held, such as plutonium contained in high-level
radioactive liquid or low level radioactive liquid generated in the process of recovering nuclear fuelmaterials from spent fuel solution.
 Retransfer from retained waste:
Amount of the nuclear fuel materials that had been retained as waste but was re-classified as the bookinventory in order to be processed for volume reduction and other purposes.
 Nuclear loss:
Amount of the loss (decrease) of nuclear fuel materials as a result of natural decay.
 Measured discard:
Amount of the nuclear fuel materials that has been measured or estimated on the basis ofmeasurements, and disposed of in such a way (verification, etc.) that is not suitable for further nuclear
use.
 Material unaccounted for (MUF):
The difference between the book inventory and the physical inventory that is defined by actual
measurement. MUF is inevitably generated from measurement error or adhesion of plutonium toequipment in a facility where plutonium is treated in powder or liquid state.

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Provisional Translation[Reference 3]

The Status of Separated Plutonium in Japan (2019)

Unit: kg Pu(Transferred amount in a facility andvariances in processes at facilities)[Separated plutonium
held abroad]
Total amount36,615abroad[Total amount irradiated]
Amount of plutonium loaded into
reactors and irradiated△160

Variances in Other Facilities△2[Amount of Holdings]
New fuel and for R&D

1,143

Nuclear Reactors
and Other Facilities
Spent Fuels
Total amountshipped out

Total amountin Japan(Transferred amount in a facility andvariation in processes at a facility)[Used amount]
Amount of plutonium in fuelfabrication processes－

Variances in processes

0[Amount of Holdings]
Plutonium oxide

2,574

Plutonium in the stage oftesting or fabrication

898

New fuel, etc.

446

Total

(Transferred amount in a facility andvariation in processes at a facility)0[Total amount separated]
Amount of reprocessed spent fuel[Amount recovered]Amounts converted from plutonium
nitrate to plutonium oxide

8,860

Variances in processes

Reprocessing Facilities

Fuel Fabrication
Facilities

3,918

－

－
1

[Amount of Holdings]
Plutonium nitrate, etc.

Total amountshipped out－

Plutonium oxide
Total

302
3,496
3,799

(Note 1) “Amount of Holdings” is the figure as of the end of the year 2019.
(Note 2) “Transferred amount in a facility and variances in processes atfacility” shows the figure for one year in 2019.
(Note 3) “△” indicates decrease.
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Provisional Translation[Reference 4]

The Amount of Plutonium Held in Japan as of the end of the year 2019 publishedby the IAEA under the Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium(Previous year’s figures in brackets)
Annual figures for holdings of civil unirradiated plutonium *１（Unit：t Pu）
1. Unirradiated separated plutonium in product stores at
3.8
(3.8)
reprocessing plants
2. Unirradiated separated plutonium in the course of
3.5
(3.5)
manufacture or fabrication and plutonium contained inunirradiated semi-fabricated or unfinished products at fuel orother fabricating plants or elsewhere
3. Plutonium contained in unirradiated MOX fuel, including that
1.5
(1.6)
loaded into a reactor core prior to use, or other unirradiatedplutonium in fabricated products at reactor sites or elsewhere
4. Unirradiated separated plutonium held elsewhere
0.1
(0.1)
［Sum of lines 1-4 above］*2[ 8.9(ⅰ) Plutonium included in lines 1-4 above belonging to foreign
bodies.
(ⅱ) Plutonium in any of the forms in lines 1-4 above held in
locations in other countries and therefore not included above.
(ⅲ) Plutonium not included in lines 1-4 above which is ininternational shipment prior to its arrival in the recipient State.

0(0)36.6*3(36.7*3)0(0)Estimated amount of plutonium contained in spent civil reactor fuel *4
1. Plutonium contained in spent fuel at civil reactor sites.
146
2. Plutonium contained in spent fuel at reprocessing plants.
27
3. Plutonium contained in spent fuel held elsewhere.
<0.5［Sum of lines 1-3 above］*5[172(9.0) ]

（Unit：t Pu）

(142)
( 27)
(<0.5)(169) ]

（Definition）
Line 1：covers estimated amounts of plutonium contained in fueldischarged from civil reactors
Line 2：covers estimated amounts of plutonium contained in fuelreceived at reprocessing plants but not yet reprocessed.
*1: Rounded to 100 kg plutonium.
*2, *5: The sum is calculated for the sake of convenience and it is out of the scope of thereport under the Guidelines.
*3: Loss of Pu-241 due to radioactive decay is taken into account in the assessment of theamount of fissile plutonium held at the overseas reprocessing plants.
*4: Rounded to 1,000 kg plutonium.

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Provisional Translation[Reference 5]

The Amount of Plutonium Held in Each Country as of the end of the year 2018 publishedby the IAEA under the Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium（Unit：t Pu）

Unirradiatedplutonium＊１

Plutonium containedin spent fuel＊２

U.S.

49.3

716

Russia

61.3

167

U.K.

138.9

26

France

83.2

299.6

China

－＊３

－＊３

Japan

9.0

169

Germany－

123.1

Belgium（< 50kg）＊4

44

< 2kg

20

Switzerland

The figures in the column of Japan is corresponded to those appeared in Reference 4. The
figures of the other countries are computed by the Office of Atomic Energy Policy Cabinet
office of Japan based on the data taken from IAEA publication.
＊１：The total amount of unirradiated separated plutonium in product storage ofreprocessing plants, in the course of manufacture, plutonium contained inunirradiated MOX fuel product in reactor sites etc., and elsewhere ( Rounded to
100 kg plutonium). The items reported as less than 50 kg are not included.
＊２：The total amount of plutonium contained in spent fuel at civil reactor sites, at the
reprocessing plants and held elsewhere ( Rounded to 1,000 kg plutonium), The
items reported as less than 500 kg are not included.
＊３：Not available at the time of IAEA publication.
＊4：The items reported as less than 50 kg which are in the course manufacture,plutonium contained in unirradiated MOX fuel product in reactor sites etc. or
elsewhere.
[A short history of the Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium]
In Feb.1994, the nine countries, i.e. U.S., Russia, U.K., France, China, Japan,
Germany, Belgium and Switzerland started to deliberate on the establishment of aninternational framework aimed at enhancing the transparency of plutonium utilization.

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Provisional Translation

In Dec.1997, these nine countries decided on the Guidelines for the Management of
Plutonium that provided the basic norms about plutonium management, transparency
through publication of the amount of plutonium held in each country and the importanceof non-proliferation.
In Mar.1998, the IAEA published for the first time the amount of plutonium held ineach country and the policy of each country about plutonium utilization reported to the
IAEA under the Guidelines.

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