The French government has estimated that the new fast-breeder demonstration reactor ASTRID will cost roughly 5 billion euros (around 570 billion yen) to develop, and it wants to share that cost with Japan, it has been learned. The Japanese government plans to conduct research with France on ASTRID (Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration) to develop a fast-breeder reactor that can replace its trouble-plagued sodium-cooled fast reactor Monju in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture. While France reassures that the fruits of the research would be shared by both countries, some predict that the development cost may swell above estimates. As there remains resistance to sharing the colossal sum, the Japanese government is expected to consider the issue with caution.
Mainichi 22nd Oct 2016 read more »