Technology for nuclear reprocessing: Present and future directions

A variety of factors have served to bring nuclear technology to international attention as a viable option to meet a major fraction of the energy needs of the future. This has also brought the US policy since 1977 of a once-through nuclear cycle into question. Such a process uses only about 5% of the energy content of the nuclear fuel. Although recycling the unburnt nuclear fuel seems reasonable from a technology point of view, proliferation risks led to cessation of the technology, as conventional reprocessing can be used to make weapons grade plutonium. The economic viability of recycling is also questionable, since uranium ore prices make the once-through nuclear fuel cycle cost effective. In addition to the standard reprocessing cycle used in many countries, there are efforts to introduce advanced fuel cycle technologies that deal with some of the issues associated with the older technology. This presentation discusses the concerns with present reprocessing technologies and with the planned repository systems. Advanced separation systems designed to reduce the possibility of diversion of reprocessed material to weapons production are also discussed in the presentation. Other goals of these advanced systems are increased reactor operational safety, the reliable disposal of nuclear wastes from reprocessing for the millennia required to allow radioactive decay.