Spent MOX fuel removed at Ikata nuclear plant, 1st time in Japan

Spent mixed oxide fuel has been removed from a reactor at a nuclear power plant in western Japan in the first such operation in Japan, the plant operator said Tuesday.Shikoku Electric Power Co. said it pulled out one of the 16 MOX fuel rods from the No.3 reactor of its Ikata plant in Ehime Prefecture at 11:57 p.m. on Monday as part of maintenance work.MOX fuel is made of plutonium and uranium extracted while reprocessing spent fuel and is a key component of resource-poor Japan's nuclear fuel recycling program. Using such fuel is also important for the country to reduce its stockpile of plut…READ FULL ARTICLE