Closure of the reactor fuel cycle is among the technical challenges facing the nuclear industry that must be addressed by 2030, the American Nuclear Society said Monday.
The organization’s “Nuclear Grand Challenges” report highlighted nine issues that need to be resolved “in order to help solve some of the economic, sociological, or political issues that we face as a society,” ANS President Andrew Klein said in his introduction to the report. The other challenges include rejuvenating nuclear infrastructure, public engagement, and ensuring access to medical radioisotopes.
A closed nuclear fuel cycle would enable reprocessing and recycling of uranium and plutonium for production of electricity. Today, spent fuel must be stored – more than 75,000 metric tons has accrued at U.S. nuclear power plants, waiting for permanent disposition at a facility to be sited and built by the Department of Energy.
“Addressing nuclear waste disposal and closing the nuclear fuel cycle would have many significant public benefits,” according to the ANS report. “It must be commensurate with the design of any emerging commercial nuclear products. Reducing the stockpiles of used nuclear fuel and excess stocks of highly-enriched uranium would significantly reduce the worldwide potential for proliferation of nuclear materials. The costs and maintenance of large independent spent fuel storage facilities would be greatly minimized, saving billions of dollars in waste storage and associated security costs.”
The report calls for setting a route for closing the fuel cycle in order to advance operation of advanced fission reactors, accelerators, and material recycling systems to provide “maximum value” and limit the environmental effects of use of nuclear fuel.
