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According to information released by the Federation of Electric Power Companies and Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited, this will be the first time that vitrified packages have been transported from the UK to Japan.
Vitrified packages of HLW created after reprocessing in France were all returned between 1995 and 2007, transported in 12 installments.
The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) said the vitrified packages from the UK will be transported over the course of the next decade. The route of each ship and the date of its arrival in Japan will not be announced until after it has departed from the UK.
The first vessel, transporting 28 vitrified packages prepared at the Sellafield reprocessing plant in northwestern England, is expected to arrive in Japan in March.
Ten Japanese utilities signed contracts signed in 1977 and 1978 with Cogema (now Areva NC) of France and British Nuclear Fuels Limited for the reprocessing of Japanese spent nuclear fuel in France and the UK. Under the terms of the contracts, Japan is obliged to take back waste from its reprocessed spent fuel.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Sixth Radwaste Shipment Sets Sail for Japan (News No. 436, 19 December 2000)
Areva To Assist BNFL With Vitrification At Sellafield (News in Brief No. 32, 31 March 2005)
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