Fukui, Dec. 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to ship sodium from the Monju prototype fast-breeder nuclear reactor in Fukui Prefecture to two British firms from fiscal 2028, a senior science ministry official said Friday.
   

Yoshinori Horiuchi of the ministry informed Hiroshi Sakuramoto, deputy governor of the central Japan prefecture, of the plan at the prefectural government office in the city of Fukui.
   

The Japanese government will decide by March next year when the removal of the substance from the reactor in the city of Tsuruga, which is now under a decommissioning process, will be completed.
   

“Presenting specific destinations (for the sodium) will lead to the safety and trust of people in the prefecture,” Sakuramoto said.
   

On Tuesday, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, the owner of Monju, and the two British firms signed a memorandum of understanding on the plan.
   

Monju has some 1,665 tons of sodium, part of which include radioactive substances. Of the total, some 77 tons needs to be removed using special equipment.
   

Separately, the government will decide as early as the end of next year when to remove spent nuclear fuels from Monju and complete the removal work. The spent nuclear fuels are expected to be reprocessed in France.