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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2017 
TAGS: ENRG PARM PREL PGOV JA
SUBJECT: VISIT TO JAPAN'S SHIMANE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, 
DISCUSSION OF MOX PLANS 
 
 
Classified By: EST MC Joyce Rabens, reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1.(SBU) SUMMARY: On November 27, 2006, EST officer visited 
Shimane Nuclear Power Plant on the northern coast of the Sea 
of Japan in Matsue City, Shimane. It is the second least 
populous prefecture in Japan. Embassy officer was provided a 
tour of Unit 2 restricted areas (Unit 1 was undergoing annual 
maintenance), a drive-through of Unit 3 construction site, 
the Shimane Nuclear Power Exhibition Hall, and the Electric 
Power Plant Simulator. In addition, EST officer received a 
presentation by CEPCO reps regarding the overall lay-out of 
the facility, the construction of Unit 3 and future MOX 
plans. Powerpoint presentations on the General Outline of 
Shimane NPP and An Overview of Construction of Shimane Unit 3 
is available upon request. END SUMMARY. 
 
General Facility Information 
---------------------------- 
 
2.(C) The Chugoku Electric Power Company operates the Shimane 
Nuclear Power Plant, which has two Boiling Water Reactors 
(BWRs). The first reactor started commercial operation in 
March 1974 (power capacity is 460MW) and due to demand, a 
second one was added in February 1989 (power capacity is 
820MW). Currently, construction is underway to build a third 
unit (power capacity goal is 1373MW) by December 2011 as an 
Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR). The total site area is 
approximately 1.83 million m2. Like other NPPs, fresh fuel is 
provided by Canada and France throughout the year. In 
confidence, however, CEPCO reps revealed that it takes 
approximately 2-3 days to ship waste materials by sea to the 
Rokkasho-mura. Transportation movement is highly protected 
and guarded. Shimane NPP services the following prefectures: 
Shimane, Tottori, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguichi and portions 
of Hyogo, Kagawa and Ehime. 
 
3.(SBU) In an effort to maintain the basic skills of all 
plant operators, the facility also includes an on-site 
simulator training building with the same layout as that of 
Unit 2. Originally, the simulator was located in 
Hatsukai-chi, Hiroshima, formerly called The Ono Training 
Center. In July 2006, the simulator was transferred to 
Shimane NPP. It is equipped with a computerized plant 
operation simulator for reactor, turbine, and generator 
operation training. Operator training is provided on an 
on-going, rotational basis. There are three shifts of six 
teams that maintain the control room, and each day two of the 
teams receive training in the simulator or maintenance 
building. The first scheduled shift is 22:00-8:00, the second 
one is 8:00-16:00, and the third shift is 16:00-22:00. For 
advanced training courses, however, operators attend classes 
held at the BWR Operation Training Center that is located in 
Fukushima Prefecture (headquarters with three simulators) and 
Niigata Prefecture (branch with two simulators). Previous 
foreign visitors to the BWR training center include officials 
from General Electric and guests from Taiwan and other 
East-Asian countries. 
 
4.(SBU) Operators are generally local high school graduates 
who submit a recommendation from a teacher, undergo a test, 
and then an interview in order to gain employment. The next 
step is for graduates to begin their year long 
on-the-job-training program. Operators generally stay 
employed with CEPCO until they reach official retirement age, 
which is 60 years old in Japan. During their employment, some 
workers opt to be transferred to work at other CEPCO's 
offices. 
 
MOX Plans Update 
---------------- 
 
5.(SBU) In September 2005, CEPCO officials submitted to 
Shimane Prefecture and Matsue municipal officials an advance 
approval request to use uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) 
fuel in Shimane NPP Unit 2 by 2010. As of October 2006, 
agreement with the local government and citizens was reached. 
Now, Shimane NPP is awaiting permission from Japan's 
regulator, the Nuclear Industry and Safety Agency. Approval 
could take up to one year. Despite the fact that MOX fuel is 
more expensive and the concern it could potentially be used 
to build nuclear weapons, Shimane NPP officials asserted that 
the switch to MOX fuel offers favorable long-term advantages. 
MOX is environmentally sound because it does not increase 
carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere and the amount of 
high-level radioactive waste can be reduced. Furthermore, 
domestically-produced MOX fuel adds to long-term energy 
security because it reduces dependence on imported fuels 
(Japan must import 80% of its primary energy needs.) As part 
 
TOKYO 00000019  002 OF 002 
 
 
of Japan's Pluthermal Program, plans are currently underway 
to convert plutonium recovered at Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant 
into MOX fuel at Rokkasho MOX fabrication plant, which is 
expected to go on line by 2012. (NOTE: MOX plans was 
originally approved by the national government in 1998. 
However plans came to a halt in 1999 after the falsification 
of quality-control data by British MOX fuel fabricator, 
British Nuclear Fuels, on MOX fuel intended for a Japanese 
plant came to light.) 
 
Physical Protection Measures 
---------------------------- 
 
6.(SBU) Shimane NPP physical protection measures resemble 
other NPPs in Japan. Officials verified their multi-layered 
access control system, including identity checks of visitors 
by unarmed guards at both gates, physical barriers such as, 
high double-fenced perimeters, intrusion detection such as, 
sensors and redundant cameras, as well as 24/7 on-site 
response forces provided by armed police and the Japan Coast 
Guard. Inside the reactor building, nuclear safety culture is 
observed as safety posters are displayed in the corridor. In 
June 2006, the facility developed a design-basis threat 
system and plans are underway to strengthen access control by 
upgrading biometrics monitors. 
 
7.(SBU) CEPCO officials stated that they conduct community 
disaster drills, but currently are not scheduled for any of 
the Cabinet Secretariat's antiterrorism drills. One CEPCO 
representative thought it implausible that terrorism could 
occur on Japanese soil. He said that a nuclear accident is 
more realistic than a terrorist attack. Shimane NPP commenced 
annual disaster drills with involvement from local residents 
and the police after the 1999 Tokai-mura nuclear incident 
occurred. To date, CEPCO officials noted that Shimane NPP has 
never had a fuel leak. 
 
Impressive Community Outreach 
----------------------------- 
 
8.(SBU) Shimane NPP's public relations office actively 
promotes the safety and security of the NPP as it allows 
tours of the power station, provides educational outreach 
programs at schools, forms study groups for women on 
nuclear-related topics, and visits elderly-single-persons to 
clean and inspect electric appliances free of charge. Even 
after 9/11, the public is allowed to visit to the reactor 
buildings, excluding restricted areas, as long visitors apply 
in advance with proper identification. Before 9/11 advance 
notification was generally not required. In fact, the plant's 
goal was to grant access to one million visitors. 
 
9.(SBU) To further maintain friendly community relations, 
there is an on-site Nuclear Power Exhibition Hall resembling 
a nuclear science museum that is open seven days a week, free 
of charge to explain the science of nuclear fission. Inside, 
there is also an interactive full-scale model of a nuclear 
reactor to show how it works, a monitoring board reporting 
the level of radiation in the air, as well as other 
interesting nuclear-related hands-on activities. (NOTE: EST 
officer highly recommends this exhibition hall to visitors 
wanting to learn more about the mechanisms of nuclear power 
generation). Shimane NPP also has a sports park, which 
includes a soccer field, a gateball game area, and a 
playground that can be used freely by all. However, there is 
a chance that portions of the park may be dismantled to make 
room for the construction of Unit 3. 
DONOVAN