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Fuel rods removed at Genkai nuclear plant

TOKYO, Japan - Work is underway to remove fuel rods from the No. 3 reactor at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai nuclear power plant in Genkai Town, Saga Prefecture, in March 2013. Japan did not include 640kg of unused plutonium in its annual report to the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2012 and 2013. The unreported plutonium is part of the MOX fuel which was loaded to the No. 3 reactor in March 2011 during its regular checkup but was removed unused in March 2013 as the reactor has remained idle since the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

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Hakodate city suit over MOX reactor

TOKYO, Japan - Toshiki Kudo (front), mayor of the city of Hakodate in Hokkaido, heads to the Tokyo District Court on April 3, 2014. The city filed a lawsuit against the Japanese state government and Electric Power Development Co. seeking suspension of construction of a plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel reactor at the Oma nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture due to safety concerns.

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Hakodate city suit over MOX reactor

TOKYO, Japan - A June 2013 photo taken from a Kyodo News airplane shows the Oma nuclear power plant (bottom) under construction in Aomori Prefecture. At top is the city of Hakodate, Hokkaido, across the Tsugaru Strait. The city of Hakodate filed a lawsuit on April 3, 2014, against the Japanese state government and Electric Power Development Co. seeking suspension of the construction of a plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel reactor at the Oma plant due to safety concerns.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Nuclear fuel processed in France is unloaded from a freighter that arrived at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013. The building containing the No. 4 reactor is seen in the background.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Workers measure radiation levels of a container holding nuclear fuel processed in France that arrived at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Nuclear fuel processed in France is loaded onto a trailer from a freighter that arrived at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Nuclear fuel processed in France is loaded onto a trailer from a freighter that arrived at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013. The building containing the No. 4 reactor is seen in the background.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Nuclear fuel processed in France is unloaded from a freighter that arrived at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a freighter carrying nuclear fuel processed in France arriving at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a freighter carrying nuclear fuel processed in France arriving at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a freighter carrying nuclear fuel processed in France arriving at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - A freighter carrying nuclear fuel processed in France arrives at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013.

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MOX fuel arrives at reactor

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a freighter carrying nuclear fuel processed in France arriving at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 27, 2013.

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MOX fuel likely to arrive in Japan on June 27

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Photo taken June 6, 2013, shows buildings containing the No. 3 reactor (front) and No. 4 reactor at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture. Two freighters carrying nuclear fuel processed in France for use at the Takahama plant are likely to arrive there on June 27, sources said June 17.

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Japan Nuclear Fuel unveils plutonium fuel plant

ROKKASHO, Japan - Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. unveils to reporters its plant for producing so-called MOX nuclear fuel, under construction in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture on Nov. 1, 2012.

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Japan Nuclear Fuel unveils plutonium fuel plant

ROKKASHO, Japan - Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. unveils to reporters its plant for producing so-called MOX nuclear fuel, under construction in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture on Nov. 1, 2012.

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British MOX plant to be closed

LONDON, Britain - File photo taken in March 2011 shows facilities related to nuclear power in Sellafield, Britain. Ten Japanese electric power companies that operate nuclear power plants jointly covered the cost of renovating a Sellafield-based plant to produce plutonium-uranium mixed oxide, or MOX, fuel. Now the British government-affiliated Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which runs the facility, has determined Japan will no longer need MOX fuel in the wake of the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, and has decided to close the reprocessing plant, industry sources said Oct. 18, 2011.

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Nuclear fuel unloaded in Fukui Pref.

TOKYO, Japan - Plutonium-uranium mixed oxide, or MOX, fuel is unloaded from a ship in the town of Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, in June 2010, to be transported to the Takahama nuclear power plant operated by Kansai Electric Power Co. Japan held 30.1 tons of fissile plutonium at home and abroad as of the end of 2010, down 0.9 ton from a year earlier for the second consecutive yearly decline, the government said Sept. 20, 2011.

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Japan's 1st MOX plant

AOMORI, Japan - Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. Executive Vice President Koichi Ikeda (R) orders a loading shovel to start operations during a groundbreaking ceremony for Japan's first commercial plant to produce plutonium-uranium mixed oxide, or MOX, fuel, an integral part of the nation's nuclear fuel cycle policy, in the village of Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, on Oct. 28, 2010.

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MOX fuel power generation starts in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - This October 2008 file photo shows the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant of Tokyo Electric Power Co. in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture. Power generation using plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel started at the plant's No. 3 reactor (2nd from L) on Sept. 23, 2010.

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MOX fuel rods placed in storage pool

FUKUSHIMA, Japan - Plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel rods are placed in a storage pool at the No. 3 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture. The photo was taken on Aug. 21, 2010.

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MOX fuel placed in storage pool

TSURUGA, Japan - Plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel processed in France for ''pluthermal'' power generation is placed in a storage pool filled with boric acid solution at Takahama nuclear power plant in Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, on July 6, 2010. Kansai Electric Power Co. gave the media access to observe the process.

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Vessel carrying MOX fuel reaches Takahama nuclear plant

TAKAHAMA, Japan - A crane lifts a container of plutonium-uranium mixed oxide, or MOX, fuel from a vessel near Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power station in Fukui Prefecture on June 30, 2010. It was the first delivery since 1999 of the fuel, used in ''pluthermal'' power generation.

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MOX fuel reaches Japan nuclear plant

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Protesters mount a rally in the town of Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, on June 30, 2010, after the vessel Pacific Heron, which is believed to be carrying plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel, docks at a Kansai Electric Power Co. plant. The banner reads, ''Stop pluthermal.''

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MOX fuel reaches Japan nuclear plant

TAKAHAMA, Japan - The vessel Pacific Heron purportedly carrying plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel docks at the Takahama nuclear plant of Kansai Electric Power Co. in Fukui Prefecture on the Sea of Japan, on June 30, 2010. It was the first delivery of MOX fuel to the plant since 1999.

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MOX fuel reaches Japan nuclear plant

TAKAHAMA, Japan - The vessel Pacific Heron purportedly carrying plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel docks at the Takahama nuclear plant of Kansai Electric Power Co. in Fukui Prefecture on the Sea of Japan, on June 30, 2010. It was the first delivery of MOX fuel to the plant since 1999.

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Ship carrying nuclear fuel from France arrives in Japan

SAGA, Japan - A container loaded with uranium-plutonium mixed-oxide, or MOX, fuel, is unloaded from the Pacific Heron, at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai plant in Saga Prefecture on June 28, 2010.

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Ship carrying nuclear fuel from France arrives in Japan

SAGA, Japan - The Pacific Heron, a transport ship carrying recycled nuclear fuel from France for Japanese power reactors, arrives at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai plant in Saga Prefecture on June 28, 2010. A French radio station said the ship was loaded with 15 tons of uranium-plutonium mixed-oxide, or MOX, fuel, apparently containing around 1.3 tons of plutonium, when it left France in April.

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Japan's 1st 'pluthermal' power generation begins

FUKUOKA, Japan - File photo taken in May 2009 shows the Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The electric power company began operating the No. 3 reactor using plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) as fuel for the first time in Japan on Nov. 5, 2009.

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Recycled nuclear fuel arrives at Ikata power plant in Shikoku

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Recycled nuclear fuel carried from France is unloaded from a cargo ship near Shikoku Electric Power Co.'s Ikata plant in Ehime Prefecture on May 27. Shikoku Electric plans to start using the plutonium-uranium mixed oxide, or MOX, fuel at the No. 3 reactor at the plant in January to launch so-called pluthermal, or plutonium-thermal, power generation in February.

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Genkai town, Saga Pref. accepts MOX reactor plan

SAGA, Japan - Yasushi Furukawa, governor of Saga Prefecture, speaks at a press conference at the prefectural government office in the city of Saga on March 26 after accepting Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s plan to begin electric generation using uranium-and-plutonium mixed oxide fuel, or MOX, at the No. 3 reactor of its Genkai nuclear power plant in the prefecture.

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Genkai town, Saga Pref. accepts MOX reactor plan

SAGA, Japan - Tsukasa Terada (R), mayor of the town of Genkai, presents to Shingo Matsuo, president of Kyushu Electric Power Co., documents stating the town's acceptance of the power company's plan to begin electric generation using uranium-and-plutonium mixed oxide fuel, or MOX, at the No. 3 reactor of its Genkai nuclear power plant at the municipal government in Saga Prefecture on March 26.

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Genkai town assembly OKs Kyushu Electric's MOX reactor plan

SAGA, Japan - Tsukasa Terada, mayor of the northern Kyushu town of Genkai, Saga Prefecture, speaks at a press conference after the town assembly adopted a statement Feb. 17 calling on the municipal government to accept Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s offer to begin electric generation using uranium-and-plutonium mixed oxide fuel, or MOX, at the No. 3 reactor of its Genkai nuclear power plant.

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Fishermen rally against MOX fuel project at Genkai nuke plant

GENKAI, Japan - Some 170 fishing boats sail near Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Gengaki nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture on Sept. 15 to protest against the company's plan to use plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel in a reactor at the plant.

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KEPCO given formal nod to pioneer MOX fuel use in Japan

FUKUI, Japan - Fukui Gov. Issei Nishikawa (L) meets with Yosaku Fuji, president of Kansai Electric Power Co., at the prefecture government offices in Fukui on March 20 to convey a decision to follow the state and the Takahama municipal government in allowing the power company to use mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel at its nuclear plant in Takahama in the prefecture.

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Fukui gov't OKs use of MOX fuel at nuclear plant

FUKUI, Japan - Fukui Gov. Issei Nishikawa tells reporters March 15 that the Fukui prefectural government gave the go-ahead for a project to use mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel at the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in the prefecture. The plan to use the fuel has been stalled since 1999 due to a data falsification scandal.

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Pacific Pintail with MOX fuel leaves for Britain

TAKAHAMA, Japan - The British nuclear-fuel transport ship Pacific Pintail leaves a nuclear plant of Kansai Electric Power Co. in Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, for Britain on July 4 with eight containers of plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. The MOX fuel has been stored at the plant since 1999 when documentation on the fuel was found to have been doctored.

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(2)Loading begins of MOX fuel returning to Britain

TAKAHAMA, Japan - One of eight cylinders containing plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel is loaded aboard the British nuclear-fuel transport ship Pacific Pintail at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture on July 4.

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(4)Loading begins of MOX fuel returning to Britain

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Members of environment groups protest the shipment to Britain of plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel from Kansai Electric Power Co.'s nuclear power plant at Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, on July 4. The banner reads: ''No more BNFL,'' a reference to British Nuclear Fuels PLC, the manufacturer of the fuel.

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(3)Loading begins of MOX fuel returning to Britain

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Two British policemen are on guard aboard the nuclear-fuel transport ship Pacific Pintail, which is due to leave for Britain on July 4 with a load of eight containers of plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel from Kansai Electric Power Co. Citing security reasons, both Japanese authorities and Kansai Electric have declined to disclose the route the Pacific Pintail will take or when it will arrive in Britain.

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(1)Loading begins of MOX fuel returning to Britain

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in containers to be returned to its manufacturers in Britain is ready for loading aboard the British nuclear-fuel transport ship Pacific Pintail at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture on July 4. The MOX fuel has been stored at the plant since 1999 when documentation on the fuel was found to have been doctored.

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Loading of MOX fuel onto ships starts at Fukui nuclear plant

TAKAHAMA, Japan - Workers load plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) into a container at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s nuclear plant in Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, on June 21. The fuel is being sent back to Britain unused after it was revealed that British Nuclear Fuels PLC (BNFL) falsified manufacturing data for MOX fuel shipped to Kansai Electric Power in 1999.

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MOX transportation ship bound for Britain arrives in Takahama

TAKAHAMA, Japan - The Pacific Pintail, one of two ships that will transport plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel to Britain, arrives June 14 at the port of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s nuclear power plant in Takahama, Fukui Prefecture. The ship will transport the MOX fuel, currently stored at the plant, to British Nuclear Fuels PLC, the British manufacturer of the fuel, in early July, sources familiar with the shipping plan said.

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Niigata gov't leaders to urge TEPCO to scrap MOX plan

NIIGATA, Japan - Hiroo Shinada (L), mayor of the village of Kariwa, Niigata Gov. Ikuo Hirayama (C) and Masazumi Saikawa, mayor of the city of Kashiwazaki meet June 1 in Kashiwazaki to discuss a Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) plan to use recycled nuclear fuel at a local nuclear plant. They agreed to urge TEPCO to scrap the plan.

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Hiranuma meets Kariwa Mayor Shinada on MOX fuel

TOKYO, Japan - Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma (L) meets Hiroo Shinada, the mayor of Kariwa village in Niigata Prefecture, at the Diet building on May 29. The meeting was held after a majority of Kariwa residents rejected in a May 27 plebiscite a Tokyo Electric Power Co. plan to use plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at its nuclear power plant in the prefecture.

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Kariwa village to postpone MOX fuel use at local plant

KARIWA, Japan - Hiroo Shinada, mayor of Kariwa village in Niigata Prefecture, speaks at a press conference in the village on May 28 about his decision not to approve the use of plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) at a local nuclear plant. In the previous day's plebiscite, local people rejected the plan to use the fuel. Shinada said the village will set up a consultation body to further discuss nuclear issues, but avoided reference to the possibility of the village renouncing introduction of the fuel.

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State to seek public support for MOX use, Koizumi says

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi responds to questions May 28 during a House of Representatives Budget Committee session. He stressed the need for the state to get the public to support nuclear energy following the rejection of a Tokyo Electric Power Co. plan to use plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at its nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture in a local plebiscite May 27.

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Niigata village says no to MOX fuel use at nuke plant

KARIWA, Japan - Opponents of a Tokyo Electric Power Co. plan to use plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at a nuclear power plant in Kariwa, Niigata Prefecture, rejoice May 27 after a majority of village residents rejected the plan in Japan's first plebiscite on the issue the same day.

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Niigata villagers go to polls over nuclear fuel plan

KARIWA, Japan - A resident of the village of Kariwa in Niigata Prefecture casts his ballot in a voting May 27 on a plan to use plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at a local nuclear power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Co.

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Town to hold plebiscite over plant's MOX fuel use

KARIWA, Japan - Municipal workers in Kariwa, Niigata Prefecture, post notices explaining a plebiscite over a plan to use plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at a local nuclear power plant. The result of the May 27 vote, in which residents will be asked whether they approve of the plan, may significantly affect power companies and the central government's nuclear power policy.