Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd (MHI) has received an order from Kyushu Electric Power Co to supply mixed plutonium-uranium oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies for unit 3 of the Genkai NPP in Japan’s Saga Prefecture. MHI will design the fuel, and supply to Orano components such as cladding tubes manufactured by Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co Ltd (MHI Group). Orano, plans to fabricate 40 MOX fuel assemblies at its Melox plant in France.
MHI previously supplied 57 MOX fuel assemblies to Japanese utilities, and says it will supply high-quality MOX fuel by leveraging its past experience and technical capability. MOX fuel will enable Kyushu to utilise plutonium extracted by reprocessing used fuel, and MHI will contribute to steady promotion of Kyushu’s “Plu-Thermal” plan to utilise MOX fuel in light water reactors.
