In Japan, the Tokai-Mura plant began reprocessing in 1975 (200 t/year); the Rokkasho plant is currently undergoing hot commissioning (800 t/year) and is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2012 depending upon the successful start of the vitrification process. Tokai, JNC (now JAEA)2 has operated a 90t/yr pilot reprocessing plant using PUREX technology and treated 1116 tonnes of used fuel between 1977 and its final batch early in 2006. It processed over 1000 tonnes of used fuel, with a Pu-U mixed product. The plant will now focus on R&D, including reprocessing of MOX fuel. JAEA operates spent fuel storage facilities there and is proposing a further one. It has also operated a pilot high-level waste (HLW) vitrification plant at Tokai since 1995. Tokai is the main site of JAEA’s R&D on HLW treatment and disposal.

Until a full-scale plant was ready in Japan, the reprocessing of used fuel was largely undertaken in Europe by BNFL and AREVA (4200 t and 2900 t respectively), with vitrified high-level waste being returned to Japan for disposal. AREVA’s reprocessing finished in 2005, and commercial operation of JNFL’s reprocessing plant at Rokkasho-mura was scheduled to start in 2008. Used fuel has been accumulating there since 1999 in anticipation of its full-scale operation (shipments to Europe ended in 1998).

Reprocessing involves the conventional PUREX process, but Toshiba is developing a hybrid technology using this as stage 1 to separate most uranium, followed by an electrometallurgical process to give two streams: actinides (plutonium and minor actinides) as fast reactor fuel, and fission products for disposal.