The government's Japan Atomic Energy Commission was apologetic, suggesting that no checks were imposed on controlling costs for the development of the
fast breeder reactor.
"When the 500 mega watt Prototech
Fast Breeder Reactor gets commissioned by year 2010 or 2011, it would be the second largest.
In a recent interview with Kyodo News, JAEA President Atsuyuki Suzuki said the plan to build a demonstration
fast breeder reactor and subsequently a commercial one after Monju ''will find it hard to be understood by the public.''
The center under the atomic energy agency is in charge of promoting research and development of Monju and related technologies aimed at completing the
fast breeder reactor nuclear cycle.
An alarm system at the Monju prototype
fast breeder reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, was triggered Friday after a glitch caused a detector to falsely detect a sodium coolant leak, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency said.
The agency plans to base the next-generation nuclear reactor on the existing light water type, as a program has been effectively stalled for the development of a
fast breeder reactor that could generate electricity while producing more fuel than it consumes, they said.
But energy demand tapered off with slower economic growth in Japan, and the development of fast-breeder reactors stopped when the Monju
Fast Breeder reactor in Fukui Prefecture had to be shut down after a serious accident in December 1995.