Japan's nuclear power industry today holds a very large amount of spent nuclear fuel that has accumulated over 38 years of nuclear energy production. The question is what should be done with this radioactive waste? There are two basic options: One is to recycle spent fuel through reprocessing; the other is to dispose of it directly by burying it deep underground.
The conclusion by a policy panel of the Atomic Energy Commission is that the present fuel-recycling policy should be continued. The panel says reprocessing is better than disposal for a variety of reasons, including the stability it gives energy supplies, the lack of environmental risks and the flexibility it affords energy policy. In other words, reprocessing amounts to recognition of the reality that fuel recycling is the only feasible way to keep nuclear plants running.
At present, there are 52 nuclear reactors across the country, accounting for more than one-third of Japan's total electricity output. It is estimated that about 60 reactors may be needed in the future to achieve the twin objectives of maintaining stable energy supplies and preventing global warming through a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.