Proliferation resistant nuclear power technologies: preferred alternatives to the plutonium breeder

Technical Report · Wed Apr 06 04:00:00 EST 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5038875· OSTI ID:5038875

Cochran, T. B.; Train, R. E.; von Hippel, F.; Williams, R. H.

Acceptability for the commercialization of an energy supply alternative must show that the utilization of the technology by a non-nuclear weapons state leaves that state no closer to a nuclear weapons capability than the use of low-enriched uranium fueled reactors in a once-through fuel cycle mode. The plutonium breeder and its associated fuel cycle does not meet this minimum criterion. It is believed that termination of the CRBR project and all other activities associated with the plutonium economy is essential if the US is to have credibility in its efforts to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation. Making fast breeder reactors inherently proliferation resistant may be intractable. Fast breeder reactors are tied to fuel cycles which contain nuclear weapons useable material in the fresh fuel of a significant fraction of all reactors. To show that there exist alternative uranium conserving fuel cycles that are much more proliferation resistant than the plutonium fuel cycle, attention is given to the denatured uranium-thorium fuel cycle. The high end of the electricity demand forecasts considered by ERDA's Task Force on the ''Fission Breeder - Why and When'' is based on wholly unrealistic expectations of future electricity prices. Energy growth at or near historical rates can be achieved only by continued energy waste. Such energy waste would undermine rather than strenghten US security. By the year 2010 the US GNP could be doubled with only a 40% increase in energy use. It is difficult to project a growth rate for electricity averaging more than 3% per annum out to the year 2000. The viability of relying on proliferation resistant uranium conserving reactors requires a plateauing of nuclear generating capacity early in the next century.

• Research Organization: LMFBR Review Steering Committee (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5038875
• Report Number(s): NP-5902153; ON: DE85902153
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
BREEDER REACTORS
COMMERCIALIZATION
ECONOMICS
ECONOMY
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL CYCLE
NON-PROLIFERATION POLICY
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR POWER
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PLUTONIUM RECYCLE
POWER
POWER DEMAND
PROLIFERATION
REACTORS
USA
WEAPONS