TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa met with Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita at the prefectural office to outline medium-to-long-term transfer plans. Kobayakawa explained that post-accident inspections and technical evaluations have confirmed that interim storage and reprocessing are technically feasible. Prior to the transfer, inspections mandated by the Reactor Regulation Act will confirm the fuel’s suitability for interim storage and reprocessing.
The interim storage facility in Mutsu, operated by Recyclable-Fuel Storage Company (RFS)—a joint venture between TEPCO and Japan Atomic Power Company—began receiving spent fuel from the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in September last year. The facility employs dry storage, where spent fuel is cooled by air.
Specific transfer timelines to the interim facility have not yet been finalized, but TEPCO anticipates transferring approximately 200 to 300 tons annually in the 2030s. Spent fuel will be stored for a maximum of 50 years before being transported to the JNFL Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant, scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2026. To meet storage deadlines, an annual transfer rate of around 300 tons is expected.
Although TEPCO has not finalized the number of nuclear reactors it will operate, it plans to run at least three units, systematically managing spent fuel transfers for stable operation and orderly decommissioning. Similarly, Japan Atomic Power plans prompt transfers of spent fuel from its Tokai Daini (BWR, 1100MWe) and Tsuruga-2 (PWR, 1160MWe) nuclear plants.
