An interim storage facility in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, temporarily stores spent fuel from nuclear power plants outside the plant sites. It is operated by a company funded by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings and Japan Atomic Power Company. With storage capacity expected to be insufficient, the company presented the city and prefecture with a plan to accept fuel from Kansai Electric Power and Tohoku Electric Power.
The interim storage facility in Mutsu stores spent nuclear fuel until reprocessing by placing metal casks inside a building. The casks use natural cooling through air circulation, without water or electricity. Under agreements with the city and prefecture, the facility is operated exclusively for the two companies.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings and Japan Atomic Power Company, companies funded by nuclear power operators, determined that they were unlikely to be able to accommodate their current storage capacity requirements. In September this year, they presented the city and prefecture with a plan to accept fuel from Kansai Electric Power and Tohoku Electric Power.
The move has been reported as part of efforts to coordinate the securing of storage space going forward.