ＭＯＸ燃料工場、新基準適合　核燃施設の審査書、正式決定―規制委

　原子力規制委員会は９日、日本原燃のウラン・プルトニウム混合酸化物（ＭＯＸ）燃料加工工場（青森県六ケ所村）について、操業開始に必要な新規制基準を満たしたとする審査書を正式決定した。
　同工場は、原発で使用した核燃料からウランとプルトニウムを取り出し、再利用する「核燃料サイクル」の主要施設の一つ。同じ敷地内にある使用済み核燃料再処理工場（７月に新基準適合）で取り出されたウランとプルトニウムの粉末を混合、成形し、ＭＯＸ燃料に加工する。日本原燃は再処理工場と同じく、２０２２年度上期の完成を目指している。（2020/12/09-12:15）

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said Wednesday a mixed oxide, or MOX, nuclear fuel processing plant in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, has officially passed NRA screenings for the start of operations.
   The NRA formalized a report stating that the plant, owned by Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd., meets new safety standards that Japan introduced after the 2011 triple meltdown accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
   The MOX fuel plant in the village of Rokkasho in Aomori is a key facility in the country's nuclear fuel cycle, in which uranium and plutonium are extracted from spent nuclear fuel for reuse. It will produce MOX fuel from powders of uranium and plutonium extracted at a spent fuel reprocessing facility being built at the same site.
   Japan Nuclear Fuel aims to complete construction of the MOX fuel plant in the first half of fiscal 2022, to coincide with the completion of the spent fuel reprocessing facility, which passed NRA safety screenings in July.
   In October, the NRA approved a draft report concluding that the MOX fuel plant's seismic design and measures to deal with a possible fire during the process to treat uranium and plutonium powders meet the new safety standards. The nuclear watchdog solicited public comments after the draft report's approval.