Effective use of uranium resources; Communicate the power of a closed cycle

Sagayama, Yutaka; Sawada, Tetsuo*; Tanaka, Harukuni*

Enerugi Foramu, (807), p.18 - 22, 2022/03

Discussing the necessity of the nuclear fuel cycle, its future, and issues (costs, pros and cons of the LWR cycle, etc.). The trend toward carbon neutrality will lead to a rush to build nuclear (light water reactor) power plants in many countries. As a result, the price of natural uranium is expected to skyrocket, increasing the need for fast reactor cycle development. It is essential to present to the world the concept of commercialization of fast reactors that combine high safety and economic efficiency, and to proceed with development steadily in order to realize it promptly, without dissipating the technologies for design, construction, operation, and maintenance of fast reactors that Japanese industry and JAEA have accumulated through the development of MONJU and other projects.