TOKYO (AP) — Japan on Tuesday approved an energy plan that sets ambitious targets for nuclear energy use and sustains a struggling program for spent-fuel recycling despite setbacks after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

The plan approved Tuesday by the Cabinet noted for the first time the need to draw down the plutonium stockpile, given international security concerns. The stockpile results from technical challenges in achieving fuel recycling and from slow restarts of reactors to burn it amid widespread anti-nuclear sentiment.

Japan repeatedly has stated its commitment to transparency and appropriate handling of the plutonium, but the U.S. in particular has raised concerns in recent years. It has urged Japan to suspend the planned launch of its key reprocessing plant in northern Japan's Rokkasho. It is in the final stages of safety approvals that have been postponed more than 20 times due to technical issues.

Japan is scrapping its failed plutonium-burning test reactor Monju, which was meant to be the centerpiece of its fuel recycling program. It never really functioned after a 1995 accident, causing a major setback to Japan's plutonium balance.