Japanese plan to generate power at experimental Monju reactor canned
07 February, 2014

Japan will scrap plans to generate electricity at its multibillion-dollar experimental Monju fast-breeder reactor, a media report said yesterday, in a move that could affect the nation's nuclear fuel cycle programme.

Monju was designed to generate more fuel than it consumes ... But its complex technology has been plagued with problems and setbacks that have left it idling for more than a decade, with little return on the initial one trillion yen (HK$76 billion) construction outlay and the 50 million yen it uses every day in running costs, even while shut down.

The government will review its overall nuclear energy plan, with the aim of turning Monju into a research centre for reducing spent fissile fuels, the business daily Nikkei reported.

...In a plan crafted in 2010, the government envisioned developing demonstrative facilities by about 2025 and having fast-breeder reactors in commercial operation about 2050...