Greenpeace's campaign to Stop Plutonium Terror

Japan's HII rocket. Copyright Space.com.

Japanese stockpile of weapons-usable plutonium to soar to over 110 metric tonnes by 2020

25 June 2002

Tokyo - The Japanese stockpile of weapons-usable plutonium is to set exceed 110 metric tonnes by the year 2020, according to the latest estimates released today by Greenpeace International (1).

This massive stockpile of weapons-usable plutonium will accumulate even if Japan is able to overcome obstacles facing the stalled implementation of its program to use plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) in nuclear reactors. Instead of reducing the amount of plutonium stockpiled in Japan, the MOX program will lead to a trebling of current stocks, already sufficient to produce around seven thousand nuclear weapons.

Greenpeace is recommending that instead of fueling plutonium proliferation in East Asia, Japan should instead declare its plutonium to be nuclear waste, immobilize it so as to make it in accessible, and lead international efforts for a comprehensive ban on the production, use and stockpiling of plutonium - the so-called Fissile Material Treaty (FMT).(2)

“The Japanese plutonium program must be halted as it provides Japan with the means to construct thousands of nuclear weapons,” said Shaun Burnie, Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaigner. “Recent statements by Japanese officials that Japan may renounce its anti-nuclear weapons principles underscore the risk that the so-called civilian plutonium program presents.”

As little as 5 kilograms of plutonium can be used in a nuclear weapon. The U.S. Government has consistently stated that reactor-grade plutonium can be used for nuclear weapons. The U.S. Department of Energy said in 1997 that “reactor-grade plutonium is weapons-usable, whether by unsophisticated proliferators or advanced nuclear weapons states.” (3) In spite of this fact, Japanese officials have repeatedly and incorrectly denied that plutonium removed from commercial reactor fuel can be used to construct nuclear weapons. As recently as 1998, former Ambassador Ryukichi Imai said that use of reactor-grade plutonium was unreliable for weapons use and could only be used for “toy weapons.”

Concern about Japan’s plutonium program has been heightened not only due to recent statements about reconsideration of nuclear weapons policy but also because of a planned shipment of faulty MOX from Japan back to the manufacturer, British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). The shipment, planned for early July from the Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui, has been protested by numerous countries and regions along potential shipping routes. The rejected MOX consists of 255 kg of plutonium in eight fuel assemblies, which was loaded into a shipping cask on June 21. “Greenpeace believes this faulty MOX fuel is waste and should now be treated as such in Japan, not shipped half-way round the world,” said Tom Clements of Greenpeace International. “Together with existing stocks of plutonium already stored in Japan, it should be immobilized as nuclear waste.”

For further information:

Shaun Burnie – Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaigner - +81 (0)90 2253 7306
Tom Clements – Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaigner - +81 (0)90 9329 6856
Mhairi Dunlop – Greenpeace International Nuclear Press Officer - +81 (0)90 2253 0327

Notes to editor:

(1) Japan is currently seeking to proceed with the use of mixed plutonium-uranium oxide (MOX) in its nuclear reactors, though the program has been plagued with problems and delays. To date, Japan has accumulated over 33 metric tonnes of plutonium at spent fuel reprocessing plants in Britain and France, which is set to increase to 45 tonnes within the next five years. Its national domestic stockpile stands currently at over 5 tonnes. Plans are proceeding for a start up of Japan’s first large reprocessing plant in 2005, at Rokkasho-mura. This facility is scheduled to reprocess 10,000 tonnes of nuclear reactor spent fuel by 2020, yielding 100 tonnes of plutonium.

Table 1: Japan's plutonium stocks, past, present and future (pdf)
Table 2: Estimates of annual plutonium loading in MOX fuel 2002-1010 (pdf)

Japanese Government policy is to have 16-18 reactors loaded with MOX by 2010, though problems facing the program make this highly unlikely. Even MOX loading in 10 reactors by this date is stretching credibility, however for the purpose of projecting future plutonium stocks Greenpeace has assumed the latter scenario, but with no additional reactor loaded beyond 2010.

The surplus stock of plutonium could exceed 70 tonnes by 2010, even with ten reactors loaded with MOX. By 2020, total supply of plutonium will have risen to 145 tonnes. With total MOX loading by this date potentially amounting to 34,000 kg of plutonium, surplus stocks of plutonium will be as much as 110 tonnes, more than the amount contained in the entire United States nuclear weapons arsenal.

(2) Immobilization of plutonium as nuclear waste includes the technical option to encapsulate cans of ceramic discs of plutonium in casks containing glassified high-level nuclear waste, the so-called "can-in-canister" method. The FMT is a long-standing international initiative launched as a concept during the 1960’s. Scheduled to begin at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in 1995, it has stalled due to disagreement over the disarmament agenda.

(3) U.S. Department of Energy, “Non-Proliferation and Arms Control assessment of Weapons-Usable Fissile Material Storage and Excess Plutonium Disposition Alternatives,” DOE/NN-0007, January 1997.

Documentation:
Japan and Nuclear Weapons: threat or intent ?
A selection of statements by past and present Japanese
Politician's, Military leaders and Agencies (pdf)

The interpretation of Article 9 of the constitution regarding the retention of nuclear arms.
The House of Councilors Budget Committee, 11 March 1978, answer by the Director General Sanada, Cabinet Legislation Bureau. (pdf)

Back


Press Releases Archive Links	Japan's HII rocket. Copyright Space.com. Japanese stockpile of weapons-usable plutonium to soar to over 110 metric tonnes by 2020 25 June 2002 Tokyo - The Japanese stockpile of weapons-usable plutonium is to set exceed 110 metric tonnes by the year 2020, according to the latest estimates released today by Greenpeace International (1). This massive stockpile of weapons-usable plutonium will accumulate even if Japan is able to overcome obstacles facing the stalled implementation of its program to use plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) in nuclear reactors. Instead of reducing the amount of plutonium stockpiled in Japan, the MOX program will lead to a trebling of current stocks, already sufficient to produce around seven thousand nuclear weapons. Greenpeace is recommending that instead of fueling plutonium proliferation in East Asia, Japan should instead declare its plutonium to be nuclear waste, immobilize it so as to make it in accessible, and lead international efforts for a comprehensive ban on the production, use and stockpiling of plutonium - the so-called Fissile Material Treaty (FMT).(2) “The Japanese plutonium program must be halted as it provides Japan with the means to construct thousands of nuclear weapons,” said Shaun Burnie, Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaigner. “Recent statements by Japanese officials that Japan may renounce its anti-nuclear weapons principles underscore the risk that the so-called civilian plutonium program presents.” As little as 5 kilograms of plutonium can be used in a nuclear weapon. The U.S. Government has consistently stated that reactor-grade plutonium can be used for nuclear weapons. The U.S. Department of Energy said in 1997 that “reactor-grade plutonium is weapons-usable, whether by unsophisticated proliferators or advanced nuclear weapons states.” (3) In spite of this fact, Japanese officials have repeatedly and incorrectly denied that plutonium removed from commercial reactor fuel can be used to construct nuclear weapons. As recently as 1998, former Ambassador Ryukichi Imai said that use of reactor-grade plutonium was unreliable for weapons use and could only be used for “toy weapons.” Concern about Japan’s plutonium program has been heightened not only due to recent statements about reconsideration of nuclear weapons policy but also because of a planned shipment of faulty MOX from Japan back to the manufacturer, British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). The shipment, planned for early July from the Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui, has been protested by numerous countries and regions along potential shipping routes. The rejected MOX consists of 255 kg of plutonium in eight fuel assemblies, which was loaded into a shipping cask on June 21. “Greenpeace believes this faulty MOX fuel is waste and should now be treated as such in Japan, not shipped half-way round the world,” said Tom Clements of Greenpeace International. “Together with existing stocks of plutonium already stored in Japan, it should be immobilized as nuclear waste.” For further information: Shaun Burnie – Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaigner - +81 (0)90 2253 7306 Tom Clements – Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaigner - +81 (0)90 9329 6856 Mhairi Dunlop – Greenpeace International Nuclear Press Officer - +81 (0)90 2253 0327 Notes to editor: (1) Japan is currently seeking to proceed with the use of mixed plutonium-uranium oxide (MOX) in its nuclear reactors, though the program has been plagued with problems and delays. To date, Japan has accumulated over 33 metric tonnes of plutonium at spent fuel reprocessing plants in Britain and France, which is set to increase to 45 tonnes within the next five years. Its national domestic stockpile stands currently at over 5 tonnes. Plans are proceeding for a start up of Japan’s first large reprocessing plant in 2005, at Rokkasho-mura. This facility is scheduled to reprocess 10,000 tonnes of nuclear reactor spent fuel by 2020, yielding 100 tonnes of plutonium. Table 1: Japan's plutonium stocks, past, present and future (pdf) Table 2: Estimates of annual plutonium loading in MOX fuel 2002-1010 (pdf) Japanese Government policy is to have 16-18 reactors loaded with MOX by 2010, though problems facing the program make this highly unlikely. Even MOX loading in 10 reactors by this date is stretching credibility, however for the purpose of projecting future plutonium stocks Greenpeace has assumed the latter scenario, but with no additional reactor loaded beyond 2010. The surplus stock of plutonium could exceed 70 tonnes by 2010, even with ten reactors loaded with MOX. By 2020, total supply of plutonium will have risen to 145 tonnes. With total MOX loading by this date potentially amounting to 34,000 kg of plutonium, surplus stocks of plutonium will be as much as 110 tonnes, more than the amount contained in the entire United States nuclear weapons arsenal. (2) Immobilization of plutonium as nuclear waste includes the technical option to encapsulate cans of ceramic discs of plutonium in casks containing glassified high-level nuclear waste, the so-called "can-in-canister" method. The FMT is a long-standing international initiative launched as a concept during the 1960’s. Scheduled to begin at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in 1995, it has stalled due to disagreement over the disarmament agenda. (3) U.S. Department of Energy, “Non-Proliferation and Arms Control assessment of Weapons-Usable Fissile Material Storage and Excess Plutonium Disposition Alternatives,” DOE/NN-0007, January 1997. Documentation: Japan and Nuclear Weapons: threat or intent ? A selection of statements by past and present Japanese Politician's, Military leaders and Agencies (pdf) The interpretation of Article 9 of the constitution regarding the retention of nuclear arms. The House of Councilors Budget Committee, 11 March 1978, answer by the Director General Sanada, Cabinet Legislation Bureau. (pdf) Back