The Fukui Prefectural Government effectively gave the go-ahead Monday for restarting a process leading to Japan's first use of reprocessed spent nuclear fuel for burning in reactors.
Fukui Gov. Issei Nishikawa expressed his intention to allow Kansai Electric Power Co. to manufacture overseas mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel for use in the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the Takahama nuclear plant.
Nishikawa said he will formally convey the prefecture's decision to Kepco's president before the end of the week.
With the consent, Kepco is expected to sign a contract with an overseas company by the end of this month on MOX production and to actually introduce the fuel in the reactors in fiscal 2007, starting in April that year, sources close to the utility said.