Japanese Plutonium

[I seem to remember that Japan has about 45 tons of plutonium. Who else deals with plutonium apart form utilities ?

These figures have to be checked]

March 26, 2013

Japanese power companies possessed over 26 tons of fissile plutonium at end of 2012

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130326p2a00m0na006000c.html

Japan's 10 major power companies possessed a combined 26.5 tons of fissile plutonium as of the end of last year, the Federation of Electric Power Companies reported at a regular meeting of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission on March 26.

Companies are not likely to formulate plans covering the use of this plutonium anytime in the near future, the federation says. This is because there are no immediate prospects for restarting more nuclear reactors in Japan in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, and plans for pluthermal nuclear power generation using plutonium as fuel have run into difficulties.

The Federation of Electric Power Companies reported that Kansai Electric Power Co. possesses 8.7 tons of fissile plutonium, Tokyo Electric Power Co. has 8 tons, and Chubu Electric Power Co. has 2.6 tons. The figures include companies' overseas stocks of plutonium.

Fissile plutonium can also be used in nuclear weapons, and a surplus without designation of where it will be used could raise concerns in international society. The federation plans to introduce pluthermal systems at 16 to 18 nuclear reactors in the future.