Spent Nuclear Fuel from Research Reactors: International Status and Perspectives

Abstract

The back-end of the research reactor (RR) nuclear fuel cycle is not only a technical issue. Non-proliferation, physical security, and environmental concerns are just as important, if not more so, as technical concerns such as: safe management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), storage capacity, availability of qualified high-density reprocessable fuel, and national self-sufficiency to deal with the domestic turnover of the research reactor's spent nuclear fuel (RRSNF). International activities in the back-end of the RR nuclear fuel cycle are dominated by two important undertakings. The first is the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) programme, and the second is the acceptance of RRSNF by the country where it was originally enriched. Both programmes aim to eliminate the utilization of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in RR. However, when these programmes have achieved their goals and there are no more HEU inventories at RRs and no more commerce in HEU for RRs, it is almost certain that the take-back programmes will cease. Many countries with one or more RRs and no nuclear power programme will have to face the problem of final disposition for relatively small amounts of spent fuel or permanently shut down their RRs before the termination of the take-back programmes. Regional or international solutions would seem to be the only chance of survival for the RRs in those countries. Access to a multinational long-term interim storage facility and eventually a multinational repository is an ideal and acceptable solution.