Status of reduced enrichment program for research reactors in Japan

Unesaki, Hironobu*; Ota, Kazunori  ; Inoue, Takeshi

The status of reduced enrichment program for research reactors in Japan will be reviewed. Among the fourteen research reactors and critical assemblies in operation in Japan, those concerned with the RERTR program are the JRR-3, JRR-4 and JMTR of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and KUR of Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KURRI). Reduced enrichment programs for the JRR-3, JRR-4 and JMTR of JAEA has been completed by 1999, and the reactors are being satisfactory operated using LEU fuels. In KURRI, the KUR has terminated its operation with HEU on February 2006. Licensing for the full core conversion of KUR to LEU fuel is under progress and the core conversion to LEU is expected to be completed in 2008.