(Source) http://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/localnews/politics/39694.html
(translation by Mia June)
The Japanese government has abandoned Monju, the 'super-efficient' nuclear reactor, for commercial use but wants to keep it as a research reactor. The government’s 2013 draft budget includes about 289milllion yen (￡196 million), that is 11 million yen less than in the previous year's budget as research expenses for fast-breeder reactor recycling technology. 174million yen (￡118 million) of this sum is assigned to Monju for its maintenance and for security measures in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. The costs of its trial run and the associated preparations will be covered by a supplementary budget if the reactor passes safety tests set by the new Nuclear Power Regulation Agency.
The total project cost over the last 20 years has been over 1 billion yen (7 billion pounds), and the reactor costs 55 million yen (￡３８２,000) a day to maintain. One of the most expensive items is the cooling system, which has to be kept running all the time even when the reactor is not operating. So far, the reactor has not generated a single kilowatt of electricity.
Prof. Koide at Kyoto University Research Reactor
Institute commented that the reasons why Japan wants to keep Monju running as a
research reactor have nothing to do with generating electricity. The only
reason he could think of is that if it were possible to run Monju even for a
very short time, it could produce 'highly superior 98% fissile weapons-grade
plutonium'.
Up until last summer, the Japanese government
kept saying to its citizens that without nuclear power there would
not be enough electricity. Now, like countries that have nuclear weapons,
it has started to say more openly that the country needs nuclear technology for
its national security. At the same time, it is failing to protect and
financially support citizens, even the most vulnerable children suffering the
effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
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