'Indefinite Postponement' of Japanese MOX plans Confirmed

national | miscellaneous | news report Saturday August 31, 2002 17:25 by Graham Caswell caswell at indigo dot ie

BNFL's main MOX customer is in big trouble.

The 'indefinite Postponement' of Japanese use of MOX fuel has been confirmed by Greenpeace and Japanese media in a major development that dramatically threatens the economic viability of Sellafield.

The announcement followed revelations that the Tokyo Electric Power Company, Japan's largest nuclear utility, of a safety cover-up for decades at its nuclear power plants. Results of vital safety inspections had been deliberately falsified and managers at Tokyo Electric ordered subcontractors to cover up problems at the company's nuclear plants. Among the problems covered up in the reports were cracks in parts surrounding the reactor core. Eight reactors left unfixed continue to run.

As a result of the scandal Tokyo Electric has announced the indefinite postponement of plans to introduce controversial plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel into its reactors and future business prospects for British Nuclear Fuels are seriously in doubt as a result.

Currently BNFL is shipping a cargo of rejected plutonium MOX fuel from Japan after they lied to their largest Japanese client over vital safety quality control data. The only reason BNFL is making the shipment, and why the UK Government agreed to a compensation package of over 100 million sterling to Japan, was on the basis of Japan signing contracts for MOX with BNFL.

The announcement of the falsification of safety data came as a result on one courageous 'whistleblower' - a former employee of General Electric International Inc. who carried out the inspections.

There is a lot more to be revealed and the industry and Japanese Government safety authorities will have to be forced to release all relevant information. It is confirmation once again that the nuclear industry is inherently dishonest and cannot be trusted", said Kazue Suzuki of Greenpeace Japan

Eisaku Sato, prefectural governor of Fukushima where several nuclear plants are located asked, ``Are they putting on a comedy?''