Japan's only commercial enrichment plant, run by Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd at Rokkasho, now produces about 112.5 tSWU a year after resuming operation in August 2023. JNFL is installing new-generation centrifuges to reach 450 tSWU a year by fiscal 2028; the regulator approved the final upgrade stage in June 2025, and the plant took its first uranium feed delivery in 11 years in October 2025.
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Current state
| Status | Expanding |
| Country | Japan |
| Location | Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture |
| Operator | Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) |
| Facility type | Enrichment plant |
| Technology | Gas centrifuge |
| Products | LEU |
| Capacity (tSWU/yr) | 112.5 |
| Target capacity (tSWU/yr) | 450 |
| Target year | 2028 |
| License | Licensed by Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority; NRA approved design and construction plans for the final stage of centrifuge upgrades on 30 June 2025. |
Notes
Long-term JNFL aim is 1,500 tSWU/yr (no date). WNA describes 450 tSWU/yr as licensed with about 150 tSWU/yr operating; JAIF (2025) gives 112.5 tSWU/yr current. No 2026 status update found.
Timeline
- 1992 — The Rokkasho enrichment plant began operation. (source)
- 2017-09 — JNFL suspended production at the plant. (source)
- 2023-08 — Operations resumed. (source)
- 2025-06-30 — The Nuclear Regulation Authority approved design and construction plans for the final stage of upgraded centrifuges. (source)
- 2025-10-07 — JNFL announced the first uranium hexafluoride feed delivery since 2014, up to 625 t of uranium from Cameco. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
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Sources
- NRA approves centrifuge upgrade plans at Rokkasho enrichment plant — Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, checked 2026-10-11
- Rokkasho enrichment plant receives first uranium delivery in 11 years — Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, checked 2026-10-11
- Enrichment plant in Rokkasho prepares to resume operations — International Panel on Fissile Materials, checked 2026-10-11
- Uranium Enrichment (updated 29 Sep 2026) — World Nuclear Association, checked 2026-10-11