Japan's 1st pluthermal power generation begins 10 years behind schedule

Friday 06th November, 02:06 AM JST

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3 Comments

PepinGalarga at 09:39 AM JST - 6th November

Congratulations! Haven't heard of any accidents yet!
ThonTaddeo at 09:48 PM JST - 6th November

1.18 million-kilowatt No. 3 reactor

Wouldn't it be easier to call it a 1180-megawatt reactor?
stipend at 12:46 AM JST - 9th November

This should be in National section.

Again, MOX fuel has no history in Japan. It's less stable than uranium. It's untested here. Japan's experimental and only "fast breeder" reactor Monju, was a cover up. A full on nuclear plant built, open half a year.. and mothballed. Just a massive white elephant and your taxes blown.

MOX is one of the most dangerous substances known to man yet it is sent on the high seas around the Cape of Good Hope! back to Japan after reprocessing in France.

http://cnic.jp/english/newsletter/nit130/nit130articles/mox.html

We have every reason to be critical of government and industry here.

The byproduct of MOX fuel is weapons-grade plutonium. Is Japan going nuclear? Let's all hope not, but it now becomes possible.

In theory this enriched plutonium was supposed to be fed into Japan's fast breeder reactor Monju and disposed of in that way. Monju is dead in the water. It can't be done.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/editorial/news/20091106p2a00m0na003000c.html

fast-breeder reactors and reprocessing plants -- crucial to Japan's envisioned nuclear fuel cycle -- have been met with numerous stumbling blocks, and their future remains unclear.

In other words: Weapons-grade plutonium is about to start piling up on these shores. While this alone presents very serious dangers for Japan, it also has the potential of igniting the next arms race -that of plutonium stockpiling. You've got that much nuclear warhead material ready to go, then so will I - could easily become the next mantra of every nuclear powered nation.