nuclear fuel, which is a mixture of uranium and plutonium, arrived at the wharf of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture on June 27.

Kepco plans to use MOX fuel in the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors of the Takahama plant, and Shikoku Electric Power will use it in the No. 3 reactor of its Ikata plant. The No. 3 reactor at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai plant also has the capability to use MOX fuel.

These reactors are among the 12 pressurized light-water reactors, at five nuclear power plants, whose safety assessment under the Nuclear Regulation Authority's new safety regulations was requested by four power companies in early July.