Nuclear Industrial Directory of Japan
2163, Narita-cho, Oarai-machi, Higashi-ibaraki-gun, Ibaraki 311-1313, Japan
Nippon Nuclear Fuel Development Co., Ltd.(NFD) was established in 1972 as a joint company between Hitachi, Ltd. and Toshiba Corporation for the purpose of researching and developing nuclear fuels. In change with the times, we are now also conducting research on reactor structural materials for the purpose of plant extended lifetime operation.
In order to enhance safety of nuclear power plants, NFD carries out research on individual processes and overall behavior of nuclear fuels to contribute to maintenance of severe accident analysis codes, and to develop technologies necessary for behavior analysis of accidenttolerant fuels.
In addition, NFD does research to improve fuel safety and performance during normal operation.
In order to contribute to restarting and extending the operation lifetime of plants, NFD does research and development on characteristic changes of materials by radiation and their mechanisms.
The data necessary to make regulations and standards are being systematically obtained.
Since the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, NFD has been performing tests to confirm validity and safety of various measures to deal with such accidents, and it is contributing to the establishment of measures against future accidents.
In addition, research on decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is being actively performed to allow restoration and revival of areas around the plant site in Fukushima Prefecture.
Tests, evaluations and analyses of nuclear materials and radioactivated metals, such as uranium oxide, zircaloy, low alloy steel, and stainless steel are performed using the most advanced test and analytical equipment and testing technologies developed by NFD.
Data for evaluating reliability and safety of nuclear power plants are being obtained.
Since irradiated nuclear fuels and structural materials that have been used in nuclear power plants are highly radioactive, NFD develops test and analytical equipment for remote operation to use inside nuclear facilities shielded by thick concrete and steel.
It also develops evaluation technology that takes into account radiation effects on the analytical data. Post-irradiation test data must have high accuracy and reliability, since they are used for safety evaluations of nuclear power plants.
Wastes of varying radioactivity levels and having various shapes and consisting of various materials occur in the process of nuclear power plant decommissioning, and especially at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, many kinds of wastes that have previously not been encountered are present or are being generated.
Appropriate and realistic evaluations based on accurate nuclide analyses are needed to rationally promote the decommissioning work.
NFD is updating the number of analyzed species to 58 nuclides to make a substantial contribution to plant decommissioning.
NFD carries out transport business for spent nuclear fuels and irradiated materials using multiple transportation casks. NFD has the know-how of a safety analysis and license acquisition of casks to correspond to regulations.
