Implications of different actinide recycling options for EPR reactors on resource utilization and resultant high level waste disposal

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate actinide recycling options that are applicable in thermal reactors with existing fuel production technologies and to assess impacts on the resources needed and resultant high level wastes. European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) design is considered as reference thermal reactor and fuel cycles with different Transuranics (TRU) recycling approaches are examined in order to determine which of the options is most effective in reducing the load of spent fuel disposal and in better use of resources. In the study, the comparison of recycling scenarios in terms of resource utilization and waste stream characteristics is based on production of 1 TWh electricity at the equilibrium fuel cycles. Comparative study results show that, among the various options investigated, fuel cycle with monorecycling of americium has least natural uranium requirement and disposal burden and can be applied as a back-end fuel cycle strategy for thermal reactors to reduce the rate of increase of TRU inventory until the development of advanced technologies for the efficient transmutation of TRU.