The MOX mirage
This article is a discussion of the status of using mixed oxide fuels in the European Nuclear Industry. While the burning of weapons-grade plutonium to generate electricity seemed to be a win-win situation, the most likely candidate to use MOX is not likely to do so any time soon, and the political and economic hurdles are addressed in this article. While there are substantial amounts of weapons grade plutonium available, the fuel fabrication costs alone far exceed the overall cost of ordinary uranium fuel elements. The European Nuclear Industry has established an infrastructure to recycle reactor-grade plutonium (coming from the spent fuel reprocessing cycle), and it is the policy of the largest utility (EdF) to make full use of reprocessing and MOX fuel. By the yeat 2000, 28 (of EdF`s) PWRs should be licensed to use MOX fuel.
- OSTI ID:
- 90854
- Journal Information:
- NUKEM Market Report, Other Information: PBD: Dec 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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