Re: Japan to switch to MOX?

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

To be more quantitative, on average abot 1/3 of all energy produced in
power reactors is from fission of Pu; At the end of fuel life, it is 2/3

Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu


On Thu, 23 Jan 1997, Alden Tschaeche wrote:

> Erik C. Nielsen wrote:
> > 
> > *** Japan mulls new atomic fuel but faces resistance
> 
> One statement in the original article is:
> "Nuclear industry sources said public concern would hamper any effort to
> adopt the new plutonium-based fuel. Plutonium is currently not used as a
> fuel in Japanese nuclear plans."
> 
> Somehow we must get the idea that plutonium does not exist in
> currently-operating nuclear power plants.  A significant fraction of the
> power generated in such plants comes from the fission of plutonium that
> has been produced in the fuel over time.  So, in fact, we have
> MOX-powered civilian nuclear power plants all over the globe right now.
> Of course, public knowledge of that fact might make more problems for us
> than it solves.  What do y'all think?  Al Tschaeche xat@inel.gov
>