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MATURE AND COMPETITIVE INDUSTRIAL IMPLEMENTATION 18000 t of Spent Fuel reprocessed at La Hague20 reactors in France recy

Vitrification of ultimate waste : very safe conditioning providing ... for development of nuclear energy and waste management. Scenario based on the SFR reactors ...

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MATURE AND COMPETITIVE INDUSTRIAL IMPLEMENTATION 18000 t of Spent Fuel reprocessed at La Hague20 reactors in France recy

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    French Waste Management Strategy for a Sustainable Development of Nuclear Energy Charles COURTOIS, Franck CARRE Speaker : Dominique WARIN Commissariat ŕ l ’énergie atomique

    2. SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR ENERGY WITH REPROCESSING AND RECYCLING Recover and recycle valuable materials Minimise waste : volume/5, radiotoxicity/10 No plutonium in ultimate waste Vitrification of ultimate waste : very safe conditioning providing long lasting confinement of radioactive waste Open strategy to the future MATURE AND COMPETITIVE INDUSTRIAL IMPLEMENTATION > 18000 t of Spent Fuel reprocessed at La Hague 20 reactors in France recycling plutonium

    The actual french waste management

    R and D for long term waste management in France P and T : minimisation of waste quantity and toxicity French scenarios : transition between reactor generations Source : EDF, ENC 2002 Important role of LWRs in the 21st century, that will be in operation until the end of the 21st century ; first EPR decided in 2004 Generation IV nuclear energy systems for sustainable long term M.A. • Mono-recycling of Pu (20 PWRs 900 loaded with 30% MOX) • Partitioning and interim storage of MA in order to minimize the amount of actinides in the ultimate waste • Maximum utilization of existing fuel cycle plants (La Hague, Melox) • Management of Pu stockpile to deploy 4th generation fast neutron systems (> 2035) • Recycling of stored MA (from PWR) • Integral recycling of Actinides in fast neutron 4th systems • Non Proliferation

    10. Transition from Pu mono-recycling in PWRs to Actinide global recycling in fast neutron Gen IV systems

    FPs. DISSOLUTION SPENT FUEL U preliminary RECOVERY U U +Pu+M.A. Partitioning : Grouped Actinide Extraction «GANEX» EXTRACTION An + Ln BACK- EXTRACTION An BACK-EXTRACTION Ln Ln WASTE ACTINIDES to recycle

    12. French analyzed scenarios for development of nuclear energy and waste management

    Base scenario 2015 - Mono-recycling of Plutonium as MOX fuel in PWR-900 and in EPR (>2020) Concentration of Pu in Mox fuel 2020 - 2025 Introduction of Global Actinide Extraction and Treatment of spent MOX fuel to constitute a Plutonium stockpile Light glass : reduced radio-toxicity and heat release Interim storage of grouped [Pu + Np/Am/Cm] 2035 - Introduction of fast neutron 4th generation systems Recycling in Gen 4 FR of grouped [Pu + Np/Am/Cm] from spent LWR Mox and Uranium fuels Integral recycling in Gen 4 FR of Actinides from Gen 4FR spent fuel

    13. French analyzed scenarios for development of nuclear energy and waste management

    Alternative scenarios in case of postponed deployment of Gen IV systems 1 – Extension of Pu mono-recycling in PWRs 2 – Multi-recycling of Pu in PWRs in order to stabilize the Pu stockpile 3 – Multi-recycling of (Pu+Am) in PWRs to slow down the build-up of (Pu+Am) 4 – Transmutation of MA in ADS double strata

    High content M.A. fuels Economical as part of a large fleet of reactors Subcritical Accelerator Driven Systems dedicated to transmute MA Fast spectrum cores, fast reactor technologies Open technological issues R&D for Technological feasability

    14. French alternative scenario for MA transmutation

    French analyzed scenarios for development of nuclear energy and waste management Scenario based on the SFR reactors is slighly breeder, increasing the Pu inventory. The Minor actinides inventory is decreasing at 2100. Some optimisation are needed in order to reduce more efficiently MA inventory.

    16. Results of P and T research programs (french waste management law) indicate that : the MA partitioning based on hydrometallurgical process has been demonstrated at lab scale, with performances corresponding to initial objectives : 99 % Np and 99.9 % Am and Cm are recovered from PUREX HA solution the MA transmutation is feasible in PWR and FR, fast neutrons spectra being more effective Technical demonstrations are on going for : partitioning : CBP-Atalante test in 2005, 15 kgs of UOX spent fuel transmutation : Am Phenix irradiations experiments Further steps, after 2005 Parlementiary debate, could include demonstrations at pre-industrial scale (partitioning demo plant at La Hague, few Am kgs transmutation in Monju FR) The physics of transmutation incites to recycle plutonium and MA in 4th generation fast neutrons systems as soon as possible (~2035)

    Conclusion (1/2)

    17. 5. Objectives of fast neutron 4th generation systems are : to transmute all Actinides they generate, and to recycle also, to some extent, the MA generated by the PWRs, after partitionig and interim storage 6. In case of postponed 4th generation systems deployment: future nuclear systems (possibly ADS) have enough flexibility to recycle the MA generated by the PWRs however with increasing constraints depending on the time and previous recyclings 7. Past, present and planned innovatives technologies and international cooperation are necessary to support the P and T scenarios, considered for optimal waste management and sustainable nuclear development

    Conclusion (2/2)

    COMPLEMENTARY SLIDES CECER : Development program - Full scale tunnel Objectives Communication: operation simulator, mockups Demonstration: cask handling Durability: heating of full scale infrastructure CECER : Fabrication of full-scale demonstrators CECER : Development program - Heat removal Design calculations (heat removal by natural convection) supported by two experiments CECER : Development program - Container durability and dry corrosion Dry corrosion regime Obtained passively by using the decay heat of the containers Preliminary calculations indicate that this regime last ? 100 years Design calculations supported by large scale experiments Transmutation with present technology Advanced gas cooled reactors Hybrid system Proton beam Fast neutrons reactors Light water reactors New perspectives………… ……………. Nuclear materials optimization : Feasibility of plutonium multi-recycling in LWR Feasibility of minor actinides temporary storage Fuel technologies (design and fabrication) for the minor actinide transmutation with fast neutron reactors Feasibility of actinides integral recycling in Generation IV fast neutron systems Transition Gen II/III ? Gen IV : Items to be assessed

    26. Les démonstrations sont envisagées pour répondre ŕ plusieurs objectifs : Optimiser le gestion des matičres Donner de la flexibilité aux décideursLes démonstrations sont envisagées pour répondre ŕ plusieurs objectifs : Optimiser le gestion des matičres Donner de la flexibilité aux décideurs

    Perspective for actinides management U GAM (U,Pu,MA) Pu(U) U Pu U,Pu,MA GANEX on Spent LWR Fuels (MOX and UOX) Pu recycling in LWRs ( MOX fuel) Global Actinide Management (extraction and recycling) in Gen 4 FR Recycling of LWR Pu and MA in Gen 4 FR 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 63 GWe existing PWR U Pu U, Pu + AM Pu + AM Pu Pu AM Separation and storage AM Pu U What scenarios for Pu and waste management in the future french park? U After 2015 Recycling Pu 2nd generation Separation / storage of MA Am AM Before 2015 MonoPu recycling 2030/2040 Recycling Pu 3rd generation Recycling stored AM IV generation fast neutron systems and/or Transmutation dedicated systems Fuel cycle : Perspective for actinides management GAM (U,Pu,MA) U Pu U,Pu,MA Global Actinide Extraction Pu recycling in LWRs ( MOX fuel) Global Actinide Management (extraction and recycling) in Gen 4 FR Recycling of LWR Pu and MA in Gen 4 FR Unat Actinides Spent fuel Ultimate waste FP Treatment and Re-fabrication GEN IV FR A drastic minimization of ultimate waste : - very small volumes, - decrease of heat loading - hundreds of years versus hundreds of thousands An optimal use of energetic materials 4th generation Systems : an integrated cycle with full actinide recycling

    31. Analyzed scenarios - Main technical features (1)

    Mono-recycling of Pu as MOX fuel in EPR Fabrication of MOX fuel compatible with MELOX plant Increasing Pu and (Am + Cm) stockpiles Possibility to recycle all Actinides in fast neutron systems after ~2080 to be confirmed Multi-recycling of Pu as MOX-UE fuel in EPR Fabrication of MOX-UE fuel in MELOX with a capacity increased to ~230 t/y Stabilization of the Pu stockpile (~420 t) and accumulation of (Am + Cm) Possibility to recycle all Actinides in fast neutron systems after ~2040 to be confirmed Multi-recycling (Pu + Am) as MOX-UE fuel (or Am targets) in EPR Specific plants needed for the fabrication of fuel or targets with Americium Moderate growth of Pu & Am stockpiles and accumulation of Cm Recycling of (Mox-UE + Am) in 45 % of the park or 50-60 % of the park with Am targets Possibility to recycle all Actinides in fast neutron systems after ~2050 to be confirmed

    32. In case of postponed deployment of fast neutron systems, 2 or 3 recyclings of Pu in PWRs could be envisaged around 2040 and 2060 to stabilize the Pu stockpile. However, there appear few motivations for multi-recycling strategies of (Pu + Am) in PWRs which would require specific fuel cycle plants, which would involve more than 50 % of the park and would produce large amounts of Cm, without stabilizing Pu and Am stockpiles. Furthermore, such strategies would lead to accumulate stockpiles of nuclear matters difficult to recycle, without appreciable gain on the radio-toxicity in comparison with an open fuel cycle. Base scenario (Gen 4 FR in ~ 2035) is the most attractive and sounded

    Analyzed scenarios - Main technical features (2) Multiple recycling in PWRs (Pu or Pu+ Am) has a priori little impact on the radio-toxicity of the residual nuclear matters in 2100 if fast neutron systems could finally not be deployed.

    33. PERSPECTIVES

    Closing the fuel cycle with all actinides has major impacts on : Minimization of waste Deep disposal long term safety analysis & demonstration (when removing long lived hazardeous elements - plutonium & minor actinides) Making best use of natural resources

    reprocessing and recycling for sustainable nuclear energy, quite advanced processes (minimisation of volume and radiotoxicity, safe conditioning) at competitive industrial maturity, recycling of plutonium in present LWR is demonstrated at large scale; further possible improvements with 3rd generation LWR type reactors, Next steps for the future 4th generation systems with closed fuel cycle for integral recycling of actinides, ? HLLW decay within some hundred years Safe long term management of waste geological disposal of ultimate waste = long term burden free solution, taking benefit from the most important reduction in quantity and toxicity of waste made possible by closing the fuel cycle, storage of radioactive material providing flexibility. Technical solutions do exist & progressive implementation can be pursued

    35. Conclusion

    Nuclear Energy is competitive and will still improve its profitability Nuclear Energy is already safe and reliable ; however new generations will be even safer Sustainability objectives to be met in a vision of a large expansion : - nuclear waste minimization - preservation of natural resources - resistance to proliferation - capability to penetrate new markets - capability to target new applications ? Closed Cycles and Fast Reactors are the appropriate answer Innovative technologies and international cooperation are the pillars of sustainable nuclear development Source EDF

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