Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation

A promotional character, representing sodium coolant.

The Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) (動力炉・核燃料開発事業団, Dōryokuro Kakunenryō Kaihatsu Jigyōdan) or 動燃 (Dōnen) for short, was a Japanese nuclear energy research organization established October 2, 1967 with the Atomic Fuel Corporation as its parent organization and disbanded 1998 to be restructured as Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute. The organization specialized in special Breeder reactors and the Advanced Thermal Reactor. It also owned a Nuclear reprocessing facility and its activities included Uranium exploration in Australia and disposal of high level waste.

In the fast growing 1960s Japanese business world, domestic reactor technology was mostly undeveloped so importing reactor designs and nuclear fuel proved to be the best economic option. Uranium enrichment technology at the time also had military secrets associated with it, making importing a necessity.

Since Japan had very few hydraulic energy resources, breeder reactors and renewable energy were attractive technologies. However, the organization existing at the time to do such research, the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute had been falling into an unstable situation, and tests done on nuclear power plants were limited and regulated by the companies that owned the plants. Thus PNC was created and did development work for the Monju reactor and other cutting edge projects. The breeder reactor technology was difficult to master due to the difficulty in handling of Sodium, and for a time, PNC was even called the pros of Sodium.

Various accidents associated with the Tokai-mura site, Monju plant, and another asphalt processing plant ultimately caused reorganization yet again into the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute.

Failed Promotional Character

Another event from PNCs history that lives in infamy is an image character gone wrong called プルト君 (Puruto-kun), which is similar to saying "Plutonium boy." Promotional videos that PNC released showed Puruto-kun debunking various fears about Plutonium, such as:

• If bad guys dropped Plutonium into the ocean, it actually won't dissolve into the water well and will just fall to the bottom.
• If you drink Plutonium mixed with water, you'll still be mostly fine since it will exit your body quickly.

As anyone familiar with the substance knows, Plutonium is, in fact, extremely dangerous, life threatening when consumed, and can be used to make nuclear weapons. The image character received harsh criticisms from international press.

External links

• Youtube video of news segment showing Puruto-kun and criticizing the image character

See also

• Tokaimura nuclear accident