Timeline: significant events in the Monju restart

1 January 2000


05/1983 Government grants permission to build nuclear reactor
10/1985 Monju construction starts
05/1991 Plant commissioning starts
17/12/1992 Monju starts system start-up test (SST)
05/04/1994 Monju reaches first criticality
30/06/1995 Monju reaches 40% reactor power
25/08/1995 Japan’s Atomic Energy Commission concludes the cancellation of HWR demonstration plant
29/08/1995 Monju first connects to the grid
10/1995 Monju attains 40% rated power
08/12/1995 Monju sodium leak accident (MSLA)
25/12/1995 First Science and Technology Agency (STA) interim report on MSLA
13/01/1996 Shigeo Nishimura commits suicide
09/02/1996 Second STA interim report on MSLA published
25/04/1996 First round table meeting (RTM) on nuclear policy started by STA
18/12/1996 Monju comprehensive safety review (MCSR) started by PNC and STA
01/01/1997 PNC joins WANO
31/01/1997 JAEC sets a provisional policy on nuclear fuel cycle and launched a specialist assembly (SA) on FBR
20/02/1997 STA publishes final report on the MSLA
11/03/1997 Explosion at the bitumen radioactive waste solidification plant in the Tokai reprocessing plant (EBW-TRP) operated by PNC
08/04/1997 A false description is detected in the STA report on the EBW-TRP based on PNC declarations
11/04/1997 STA launches the PNC restructuring review committee (PNC-RRC) and PNC restructuring headquarters
01/08/1997 PNC-RRC publishes final report “Direction of the PNC restructuring”
28/11/1997 Specialist assembly reports the validity of continuation of FBR R&D to JAEC (JAEC approved it three days later)
02/12/1997 PNC-RRC accepts a report on “A basic plan for new organization” from the working group for new organization
08/12/1997 PNC-RRC submits “A basic plan for new organization” to JAEC
06/02/1998 JAEC publishes final “Guidance for PNC restructuring”
13/05/1998 Japanese parliament (Diet) amends PNC law and formally approves PNC transition into the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC)
01/10/1998 JNC launches with establishment of Tsuruga Head Office (THO)
15/02/1999 Head office of JNC moves from Tokyo to Tokai
13/05/1999 First Tsuruga International Energy Forum (TIEF-1) convenes
02/10/1999 Monju communication square (MC2) public relations operation starts up
08/12/2000 JNC applies for preliminary consent from local government for the Monju plant modifications to prevent sodium leakage
05/06/2001 Fukui prefecture and Tsuruga city gave preliminary consent to JNC for its application for national approval of the Monju plant modification
06/06/2001 JNC applies for national approval of the Monju plant modification
07/06/2002 JAERI and JNC reach agreement in which JNC merges with JAERI
26/12/2002 National approval on the Monju plant modification is granted
27/01/2003 Kanazawa Branch of Nagoya High Court denies the validity of Monju’s national safety approval
26/11/2004 Japan Atomic Energy Agency formed by law passed by Diet
07/02/2005 Fukui prefecture, Tsuruga city give preliminary consent for Monju works
03/03/2005 Preparations for Monju plant modification begin
03/2005 Fukui prefecture launches energy R&D centralization plan
30/05/2005 The Supreme Court overrules the conclusions of the Kanazawa Branch of the Nagoya High Court
01/09/2005 Monju plant modification starts
01/10/2005 JNC is folded into the newly-formed JAEA
11/10/2005 Japan Atomic Energy Commission publishes pro-FBR ‘Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy’
09/2006 Integrated plant assessment plan for Monju is drawn up
18/12/2006 Modified system function test (MSFT) begins
23/05/2007 Monju plant modification ends
30/08/2007 MSFT ends
31/08/2007 Entire system function test (ESFT) begins
12/08/2009 ESFT ends
12/2009 Safety verification of the long-term suspended facility is completed
23/02/2010 JAEA applies for preliminary consent from local government for Monju system start-up test
28/04/2010 Fukui prefecture and Tsuruga city give preliminary consent to JAEA
06/05/2010 Monju restarts SST
08/05/2010 Monju reaches criticality



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