Strategies of eliminating nuclear waste using accelerator-driven system in the transition stage for sustainable and clean nuclear energy in China

Abstract

Based on the current situations and development tendencies of nuclear energy in China, three scales of nuclear-energy development are predicted. This work explores the strategies of transmuting the Minor Actinides (MAs) in the spent nuclear fuel using Accelerator-Driven Subcritical systems (ADS) to achieve the transition to sustainable and clean nuclear fission energy. The mass-flow data of fuel cycle with time for ADS transmutation system is obtained through simulations, which provides the basic reference for the fuel fabrication, the reprocessing scale and the interim storage of discharged fuel in Chinese ADS systems arranged in different stages. The time required for eliminating over 95% MAs inventory from Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) spent fuel is discussed. The mass and toxicity of final high-level waste in different stages are analyzed to demonstrate the excellent ability of ADS to eliminate the mass of MAs and the inventory of high-level waste.