fuels and targets from reprocessing site to fuel fabrication site and to transmutation
sites and back.
In the double-strata approach, a dedicated transmutation facility is foreseen in
the form of an accelerator-driven system. Because of the reactor physics properties
of such an ADS (one does not rely on a subtle equilibrium such as the chain
reaction, but the ADS subcritical core acts merely as a multiplier of a primary
neutron source), one can devise fuels that have a very high minor actinide content.
The EC-FP6 program IP-EUROTRANS delivered the conceptual design of such an
industrial transmuter (EFIT). In EFIT, 400 MW
th core designs were made with
uranium-free inert matrix fuels having a mixture of plutonium and minor actinides.
In EFIT, the so-called 42–0 approach core was developed, meaning a core design
that would be as plutonium neutral as possible (no burning nor breeding of
plutonium) and which could in optimal conditions burn 42 kg minor actinides per
TWh power produced. This system was used in the EC-FP6 program PATEROS,
which produced a roadmap for the development of Partitioning and Transmutation
at the European level. The deployment of such an industrial transmuter as EFIT
would be very difficult for small nuclear countries and hence this scheme is optimal
in a regional approach.
Because the burning of the minor actinides is done in a very concentrated
manner, these industrial transmuters can be located near a fuel reprocessing and
transmuter fuel fabrication facility, limiting the transportation of hazardous materials. Calculations have indicated that the support ratio, that is, the ratio of the total
power of industrial transmuters to the total power of electricity-generating systems,
is about 6 %. Also with this “concentrated” approach, one can much easier envisage
the burning of the LWR legacy waste in a reasonable amount of time without
impacting the regular electricity production installations.
Within the PATEROS project, a number of nuclear fuel cycle scenarios have
been studied. Different regions have been identified: a group of countries that are
stagnant with respect to nuclear energy production or in phase-out (“Group A,”
typically Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland) and a
group of countries which are developing an advanced fuel cycling with the deployment of fast reactors (“Group B,” typically France). Different objectives were set
concerning the burning of the minor actinides. Within the EC-F7 ARCAS project,
which continues on the work done in PATEROS, it was estimated that to burn the
minor actinides present in Group A in a reasonable time frame (less than 100 years),
the group would need to deploy 7 EFIT-like facilities. If also Group B wants to
stabilize their minor actinide inventory, 15 EFIT-like installations would be needed,
and if total minor actinide elimination is required in Groups A and B, 20 EFIT-like
installations are to be built.
At the European level, four building block strategies for partitioning and transmutation have been identified. Each block poses a serious challenge in research and
development to reach an industrial-scale deployment. These blocks are as follows.
• Demonstration of advanced reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel from LWRs,
separating uranium, plutonium, and minor actinides;
7 Contribution of the European Commission to a European Strategy for HLW. . .
69
sites and back.
In the double-strata approach, a dedicated transmutation facility is foreseen in
the form of an accelerator-driven system. Because of the reactor physics properties
of such an ADS (one does not rely on a subtle equilibrium such as the chain
reaction, but the ADS subcritical core acts merely as a multiplier of a primary
neutron source), one can devise fuels that have a very high minor actinide content.
The EC-FP6 program IP-EUROTRANS delivered the conceptual design of such an
industrial transmuter (EFIT). In EFIT, 400 MW
th core designs were made with
uranium-free inert matrix fuels having a mixture of plutonium and minor actinides.
In EFIT, the so-called 42–0 approach core was developed, meaning a core design
that would be as plutonium neutral as possible (no burning nor breeding of
plutonium) and which could in optimal conditions burn 42 kg minor actinides per
TWh power produced. This system was used in the EC-FP6 program PATEROS,
which produced a roadmap for the development of Partitioning and Transmutation
at the European level. The deployment of such an industrial transmuter as EFIT
would be very difficult for small nuclear countries and hence this scheme is optimal
in a regional approach.
Because the burning of the minor actinides is done in a very concentrated
manner, these industrial transmuters can be located near a fuel reprocessing and
transmuter fuel fabrication facility, limiting the transportation of hazardous materials. Calculations have indicated that the support ratio, that is, the ratio of the total
power of industrial transmuters to the total power of electricity-generating systems,
is about 6 %. Also with this “concentrated” approach, one can much easier envisage
the burning of the LWR legacy waste in a reasonable amount of time without
impacting the regular electricity production installations.
Within the PATEROS project, a number of nuclear fuel cycle scenarios have
been studied. Different regions have been identified: a group of countries that are
stagnant with respect to nuclear energy production or in phase-out (“Group A,”
typically Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland) and a
group of countries which are developing an advanced fuel cycling with the deployment of fast reactors (“Group B,” typically France). Different objectives were set
concerning the burning of the minor actinides. Within the EC-F7 ARCAS project,
which continues on the work done in PATEROS, it was estimated that to burn the
minor actinides present in Group A in a reasonable time frame (less than 100 years),
the group would need to deploy 7 EFIT-like facilities. If also Group B wants to
stabilize their minor actinide inventory, 15 EFIT-like installations would be needed,
and if total minor actinide elimination is required in Groups A and B, 20 EFIT-like
installations are to be built.
At the European level, four building block strategies for partitioning and transmutation have been identified. Each block poses a serious challenge in research and
development to reach an industrial-scale deployment. These blocks are as follows.
• Demonstration of advanced reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel from LWRs,
separating uranium, plutonium, and minor actinides;
7 Contribution of the European Commission to a European Strategy for HLW. . .
69