Nuclear fuel reprocessing

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · NUEXCO. Monthly Report to the Nuclear Industry

OSTI ID:103350

Foreman, C E

Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is a relatively simple, well-developed, and successful technology. Large, expensive reprocessing facilities are in use, principally in the UK and France, and are under construction in Japan and the CIS. As in most industrial processes, the viability of the process depends on the usefulness of its function and products, operational costs, and the economics of waste disposal. The current situation for nuclear fuel reprocessing is that the products-plutonium and reprocessed uranium-are not economical to use. There are insufficient facilities in place to fabricate and use the plutonium as fuel, and there is little use for reprocessed uranium as long as fresh uranium remains inexpensive. The result is that most of the plutonium and uranium from reprocessing is stored temporarily, waiting to be recycled as fuel or possibly to be disposed of permanently. Also, plutonium and uranium from proposed dismantlement of nuclear weapons threaten to increase temporary storage stockpiles. In addition to the storage of plutonium and reprocessed uranium, the high-level waste (HLW) from reprocessing must be stored temporarily as well, since no permanent HLW disposal facilities have been built, in spite of available and proven technology. Spent nuclear fuel in the open nuclear fuel cycle also is being stored temporarily at reactor sites, awaiting the construction of the same HLW disposal facilities. The current temporary storage of the products of both the closed and the open nuclear fuel cycles cannot go on indefinitely, and reprocessing cannot be justified given the current lack of need for its products. To alleviate these end-of-fuel-cycle problems, two solutions are needed: permanent HLW disposal provisions and increased plutonium utilization. These two solutions apply worldwide and must be implemented at national levels in order to maintain fuel cycle options and to assure the viability of the nuclear electric power industry.

• OSTI ID: 103350
• Journal Information: NUEXCO. Monthly Report to the Nuclear Industry, Journal Name: NUEXCO. Monthly Report to the Nuclear Industry Journal Issue: 286; ISSN 0742-4582; ISSN NUEXD3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
CHINA
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
FRANCE
GLOBAL ASPECTS
INDIA
JAPAN
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PLUTONIUM
REPROCESSING
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
UNITED KINGDOM