Nuclear Wastes Technologies for Separations and Transmutation (1996) / Chapter Skim
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Pages 1-10
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From page 1... ...
This capacity will provide for approximately 60% of the spent fuel expected to be discharged from the 2 The U.S. policy governing the disposition of spent fuel from commercial reactors is providecl by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 and the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987.
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From page 2... ...
contained in the 62,000 MgHM of existing LWR spent fuel, as well as packaging and storage of selected fission products contained in the accumulated spent LWR fuel that is otherwise destined for the first geologic repository. The LWR and the ALMR concepts are also evaluated for their abilities to transmute only the plutonium fraction of the TRUs.
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From page 3... ...
The program calculates that process losses of 0.02% for plutonium and neptunium, and 0.0003% for americium and curium, must be achieved for both the LWR spent fuel and the on-line reprocessing system to be successful. To date, such levels have not been achieved on a commercial scale.
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standard 40CFR191 until recently the assumed standard for a Yucca Mountain repository.3 For 239Pu, the most abundant radionuclide to be transmuted, the corresponding amount proposed in the waste would be less than 0.03% of that in LWR spent fuel. The ALMR/IFR project has not described how such low losses could be attained in any of its published reports.
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From page 5... ...
As an alternative to S&T of all TRUs, reprocessing the LWR spent fuel and recycling only the plutonium to LWRs or ALMRs using improved low-loss waste forms for the other HEW constituents would be simpler and perhaps somewhat less expensive to implement. Findings Regarding Feasibility, Development, and Deployment LWR Current LWR designs could be modified for transmutation of most actinides and the more troublesome fission products.
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The integrated operation of the system for the optimum transmutation rate will present an additional difficult problem for the S&T cycle. Findings Regarding Economics Issues Implementation of an S&T system for nuclear waste burning would cost more for the same electrical production capacity than the corresponding system using the same type of reactor but optimized for power production.
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From page 7... ...
Conclusion The excess cost for an S&T disposal system over once-through disposal for the 62,000 MgHM of LWR spent fuel is uncertain but is likely to be no less than $50 billion and easily could be over $100 billion if adopted in the United States. The additional cost of generating wholesale electricity could increase from 2 to 7% for a total increase of about $25 to over $80 billion.7 Findings Regarding Effects on Repository Capacity and Program The Need to Dispose of Fission Products and Residual Wastes All of the transmutation concepts require a geologic repository for at least some long-lived fission product radionuclides and for waste from some process losses and contaminated salvage materials.
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Public Acceptance If the current attitudes continue, siting a large number of nuclear facilities would likely raise considerable public opposition. There is no reliable basis for knowing whether an informed public would regard S&T as a significant and worthwhile improvement over the once-through LWR fuel cycle.
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A research and development program taitared to the actual washed residues is under way to evaluate the technical and economic issues associated with the separation processes that could follow caustic sludge washing. Conclusion Operations required to separate the Hanford tank wastes into a large-volume, low-activity portion destined for on-site disposal and a small-volume, highactivity portion destined for the repository are justified, primarily on economic grounds.
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From page 10... ...
· Research and development should be conducted on selected topics to support the cost-effective future application of S&T of commercial spent fuel and separations for defense waste applications. A sustained, but modest, and carefully focused program of research and development over the next decade could prepare the technical basis for advanced separation technology for the radionuclides in spent LWR fuel and for decisions on the possible applications of S&T as part of the more efficient future use of fissionable resources.
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Key Terms
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