Japan NRA OKs Screening Report for Joyo Fast Reactor

Tokyo, May 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday approved a screening report concluding that the Japan Atomic Energy Agency's Joyo experimental fast reactor has met new regulatory standards, a prerequisite for restarting it.

The report will be formalized after a public comment period.

The JAEA aims to restart Joyo, located in the town of Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, at the end of fiscal 2024.

Started in 1977, Joyo is Japan's only fast reactor, without a power generation function. Due to an equipment problem, the reactor was shut down in 2007.

To cool its core, the reactor uses sodium, a liquid metal that is highly reactive with air, posing a fire risk.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]