Fundamental strategy of development of fast breeder reactors

For fairly long period hereafter, light water reactors seem to be the main type in nuclear power generation, but from the viewpoint of the effective use of energy resources and the energy security in Japan, it is the fundamental line of atomic energy utilization to use plutonium and uranium recovered by reprocessing spent fuel for fast breeder reactors. The development of fast breeder reactors has been continued for the past more than ten years in Japan, and now the experimental reactor Joyo is in operation, and the preparation work for the prototype reactor Monju was started, aiming at the criticality in 1990. The subcommittee on putting FBRs in practical use was established, and the concrete policy of FBR development in Japan has been examined since February, 1982. As the result, on the development schedule, the target of economical efficiency, the measures for reducing the cost, the research and development, the international cooperation, the organization for the development and so on, the fundamental line and the measures to be taken for the time being were reported in June, 1983. The significance of FBR development, the trend of development in Japan and foreign countries, and the outline of the above items are described. (Kako, I.)