25 years of Fuqen ATR

摘要

As a country with very limited energy resources, Japan's nclear policy is based on the establishment of a nuclear fuel cycle that reuses plutonium ― which is considered to be a domestic energy resource ― in order to maximise the use of uranium. In accordance with this policy, the Advanced Thermal Reactor (ATR) was designed to burn plutonium, and construction of the Fugen prototype reactor was carried out as a national project. After the 1995 decision to abandon the ATR project, Fugen continued operation for eight years and completed its role in improving operational management and plutonium technologies.