Plutonium recycling experience in Japanese PWRs

Plutonium recycling is an important policy for saving natural uranium resources in Japan. In March 1988, four demonstration mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies were loaded at Mihama Unit 1 and irradiated for three cycles. Mihama Unit 1 is a two-loop type pressurized water reactor (PWR) plant of Kansai Electric Power Company and was loaded with 121 fuel assemblies of the 14 [times] 14 type. This paper reviews the first plutonium recycle experience in a Japanese PWR plant and reports on verification of our standard nuclear design methodology applied to MOX fuel.