Current status and future plan of research and development on partitioning and transmutation technology in Japan

After a first check and review on partitioning and transmutation (P and T) technology by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) in 2000, significant progress was made in respective research areas of partitioning, fuel fabrication, transmutation and fuel recycling in Japan. The second check and review on P and T technology was made by the JAEC in 2008-2009 to illustrate the benefit and significance of P and T, to review the current state of P and T technology in and outside Japan, and to discuss how to conduct future research and development. The final report, issued in April 2009, mentions that the significance of P and T technology can be reduced to three points: reduction of the potential hazard, mitigation of the requirement for geological repository site, and enhancement of the options in the design of the whole system of waste disposal. The current technology levels of P and T for both FBR and ADS were evaluated. Although the technology levels of some parts of the FBR cycle system are between basic research and engineering demonstration, P and T technology in general is still in the basic research stage because of the lack of experimental data on minor actinides (MA). It was, therefore, strongly recommended to accumulate experimental data for MA as a common basis for both FBR and ADS. (authors)