In a nuclear power plant's reactor core, uranium 238 absorbs neutrons and transmutes to fissile plutonium. This can then be extracted and recycled for further use, making plutonium a rare quasi-domestic energy source for resource-deprived Japan.

Plutonium can be used to make MOX fuel, which is uranium and plutonium mixed-oxide fuel that can be burned in conventional light-water reactors (LWRs). As the above graphic indicates, plutonium utilization in LWRs through MOX fuel has been implemented successfully in many countries. Since the 1960s, MOX has been used in other countries, with numerous results accumulated in France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and elsewhere. As of December 2001, a total of 3,543 assemblies of MOX have been safely irradiated in nuclear plants across the globe.

The positive results from the experiences of these countries lead Japan to believe that the MOX utilization program will be of great benefit to our nation. Therefore, we will continue to strive for the implementation of MOX in our domestic civilian LWRs.