Can Monju ban be lifted?

March 2, 2015

Lifting of Monju operation ban uncertain

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150302_22.html

Mar. 2, 2015 - Updated 11:23 UTC+1

A senior official of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority's secretariat has indicated that he has no idea when it can lift an effective ban on test runs for the prototype fast-breeder reactor Monju.

Noboru Hirose made the remark on Monday at the start of 3 weeks of regular safety checks on the reactor in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, central Japan.

Regulators ordered the effective ban on preparations for test runs 2 years ago following a series of problems, including missed inspections on many pieces of equipment.

Monju's operator, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, hopes to lift the ban by the end of this month.
Hirose said he wants to have a first-hand look at how the safety checks are conducted and whether measures to prevent similar problems are adequate.

Monju chief Kazumi Aoto said he hopes the authority will evaluate positively the operator's efforts to address problems and reform operations.

But Hirose said it will not be able to lift the ban this month and that it is too early to say when it can.

Monju was shut down for about 14 years after a sodium leak in 1995. The operator restarted the reactor in 2010, but a trouble occurred after just 3 months and operations have remained stopped since then.

Experts say a fast-breeder reactor has the potential to generate more nuclear fuel than it consumes.