Abstract
Globally, around half a million tonnes of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) will be in dry or wet storage by around 2050. Continued storage is not sustainable, and this SNF must eventually either be disposed (the open nuclear fuel cycle) or recycled (the closed fuel cycle). Many international studies have addressed the advantages and disadvantages of these options. To inform this debate, a detailed survey of the available literature related to environmental assessments of closed and open cycles has been undertaken. Environmental impacts are one of the three pillars that, alongside economic and societal impacts, must be considered for sustainable development. The aims are to provide a critical review of the open literature in order to determine what generic conclusions can be drawn from the broad base of international studies. This review covers the results of life cycle assessments and studies on waste arisings, showing how the management of spent fuels in the open and closed cycles impact the environment, including the use of natural resources, radioactive waste characteristics (heat loading, radiotoxicity and volume) and the size of the geological repository. In the framework of sustainable development, the next part of this review will consider economic impacts.
Highlights
It is clear that nuclear energy can make a major contribution to global low-carbon energy needs and, for example, in the United Kingdom, this is reflected in the recentEnergy White Paper, which includes a role for nuclear in meeting the UK’s target of “NetZero” carbon emissions by 2050 [1]
The nuclear fuel cycle holds an extremely important position in the generation of nuclear energy, not because it is the process by which nuclear fuel makes its way to a reactor but because there are a range of fuel cycle options available depending on the fuel used in the reactor and the management of the spent fuel when discharged from the reactor
This paper focuses on the environmental aspects of sustainable development, but, as noted earlier, the equal importance of the economic and societal goals must be accounted for in an ultimate assessment of nuclear energy system and fuel cycle options
Summary
It is clear that nuclear energy can make a major contribution to global low-carbon energy needs and, for example, in the United Kingdom, this is reflected in the recent. Current nuclear power reactors and associated fuel cycles are mature, safe and reliable technologies for the generation of low-carbon energy and overseen by strong regulatory bodies, but new reactor technologies, applications and optimum long-term strategies for the fuel cycle exist and are under consideration globally. These advanced fuel cycles, require investment in research and development, and must address other areas such as safety, security and proliferation management, as well as the economics of an expanded fuel cycle infrastructure.
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