Japan "Considering Measures to Outsource Nuclear Power Plant Radioactive Waste Disposal Overseas"

Japan: "Decommissioning Waste from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Not Subject to Consignment Processing"

The appearance of Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] The Japanese government is exploring measures, including considering the establishment of an exception rule to allow radioactive waste generated from nuclear power plant decommissioning to be outsourced for processing overseas.

On the 17th, the Tokyo Shimbun reported that Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is reviewing related regulations to allow the outsourcing of processing of three types of large radioactive waste equipment generated from nuclear power plant decommissioning to foreign countries.

The three types refer to the steam generator that produces steam used for power generation by the reactor's heat, the feedwater heater that raises the temperature of water returning to the reactor, and the containers used for storage and transportation of spent nuclear fuel.

The radioactive waste generated here corresponds to "low-level radioactive waste," which has a small amount of radioactivity and poses a low risk to the human body.

As of the end of March, the total amount of the three types of large equipment used or stored in nuclear power plants in Japan reaches approximately 57,230 tons.

International treaties concerning the safety of radioactive waste generally require that radioactive waste be disposed of directly by the country where it was generated, and only allow limited cross-border "outsourced processing" with the consent of the counterpart country.

Japan's Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (Foreign Exchange Act) also prohibits exporting its radioactive waste overseas, preventing outsourced disposal, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is reportedly considering establishing an exception rule on the condition that the counterpart country reuses the waste.

Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the Japanese government significantly strengthened nuclear power plant safety measures.

Since then, the Japanese government has decided to decommission 24 reactors (devices that generate nuclear reactions while controlling chain reactions) at 11 nuclear power plants, including Fukushima Daiichi and Daini Nuclear Power Plants.

Once reactor decommissioning is in full swing, a vast amount of large low-level radioactive waste is expected to be generated from the mid-2020s onward.

However, there are no dedicated facilities in Japan to dispose of this waste, and due to local opposition, it has become difficult to find disposal sites, leading to the exploration of outsourcing processing overseas.

In countries like the United States and Sweden, where decommissioning technology is relatively advanced, companies have emerged that import large radioactive waste for decontamination, dismantling, melting, and recycling processes.

Currently, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has stated, "We are not considering the overseas outsourcing of waste generated from the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.