Advanced Recycling - jaea.go.jp · PDF fileAdvanced Recycling Technology: Addressing the Barriers Enhanced Benefits • Reduces HLW Volume and toxicity—complete change ... LAUNCH

© 2015 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Advanced Recycling: Benefits, Challenges

and Next Steps William D. Magwood, IV

Director-General Nuclear Energy Agency

International Symposium on

Present Status and Future Perspective for Reducing Radioactive Wastes

17 February 2016

© 2015 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development © 2015 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2

The NEA: A Forum for Cooperation • Founded in 1958

• 31 member countries

• 7 standing technical committees

• 75 working parties and expert groups

• 21 international joint projects


The NEA's committees bring together top governmental officials and technical specialists from NEA member countries and strategic partners to solve difficult problems, establish best practices and to promote international collaboration.

NEA Committee Structure

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21 Major Joint Projects (Involving countries from within and beyond NEA membership)

• Nuclear safety research and experimental

data (thermal-hydraulics, fuel behaviour, severe accidents).

• Nuclear safety databases (fire, common-cause failures).

• Nuclear science (thermodynamics of advanced fuels).

• Radioactive waste management (thermochemical database).

• Radiological protection (occupational exposure).

Major NEA Separately Funded Activities

Secretariat-Serviced Organisations

• Generation IV International Forum (GIF) with the goal to improve sustainability (including effective fuel utilisation and minimisation of waste), economics, safety and reliability, proliferation resistance and physical protection.

• Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP) initiative by national safety authorities to leverage their resources and knowledge for new reactor design reviews.

• International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC) forum for international discussion on wide array of nuclear topics involving both developed and emerging economies.


• Energy use is responsible for about 70% of total, global GHG emissions. • CO2 constitutes 90% of total energy-related emissions. • In the energy sector, CO2 is exclusively generated by fossil fuels.

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Source: IEA

Considerations of Carbon: It’s all about energy production

© 2015 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 6

Electricity Generation by Source (%), World and OECD

• Nuclear is the largest source of low carbon electricity in OECD countries • Nuclear is the 2nd largest low carbon power source globally (after hydro) • ¾ of global electric power production today is based on fossil fuel

Electricity Today: Still A Carbon Society


IEA 2°C Scenario: Nuclear is Required to Provide the Largest Contribution to Global Electricity in 2050

Source: Energy Technology Perspectives 2014

Source: IEA


2015 NEA/IEA Technology Roadmap

• Provides an overview of global nuclear energy today. • Identifies key technological milestones and innovations that can

support significant growth in nuclear energy. • Identifies potential barriers to expanded nuclear development. • Provides recommendations to policy-makers on how to reach

milestones & address barriers. • Case studies developed with experts to support recommendations.

Contents and Approaches



• Distortions and failures in electricity markets that impact financial competitiveness of baseload plants

• Persistent questions about long-term operation of current plants and constructability of Gen III/Gen III+ plants

• Unanswered questions about technology, cost, and regulatory issues regarding SMRs, Gen IV reactors, and other advanced technologies

• In some countries, public acceptance concerns about safety in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident

• Continuing international concerns about non-proliferation associated with expanded use of civilian nuclear power

• Ongoing challenges in many countries regarding long-term high level waste storage and disposal

What Are the Barriers to Large Global Expansion?



• Distortions and failures in electricity markets that impact financial competitiveness of baseload plants

• Persistent questions about long-term operation of current plants and constructability of Gen III/Gen III+ plants

• Unanswered questions about technology, cost, and regulatory issues regarding SMRs, Gen IV reactors, and other advanced technologies

• In some countries, public acceptance concerns about safety in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident

• Continuing international concerns about non-proliferation associated with expanded use of civilian nuclear power

• Ongoing challenges in many countries regarding long-term high level waste storage and disposal

What Are the Major Barriers?


Nuclear Waste and Nonproliferation: A Review of the Facts

• When civilian nuclear power was developed in the 1950s, recycling of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) was an integral aspect of the vison.

• While not ideal, plutonium from civilian SNF can be extracted for weapons purposes.

• But the global expansion of civilian nuclear power does not increase proliferation risks.

• Disposal of SNF in geologic repositories is practical and technically implementable.

• But direct disposal of SNF does not eliminate all potential proliferation concerns.

• Closure of the fuel cycle would assure that fissile material is never misused – and is never allowed to enter the environment.


Current Reprocessing Technology: Benefits and Barriers

Potential Benefits

• Reduces HLW Volume

• Reduces actinide content of HLW

• Waste is easily stored and managed (vitrified logs)

• Enables use of 25 to 30% more energy than once-through fuel cycle

• Enhances energy security

Barriers and Issues

• Concerns about separated plutonium

• Could encourage global expansion of reprocessing

• Concerns about environmental impacts

• Does not significantly reduce repository requirements

• Cost


Advanced Recycling Technology: Partitioning and Transmutation

• In contrast to current reprocessing technology, advanced P&T can:

– dramatically alter long-term HLW disposition by reducing radiotoxicity and heat load in addition to volume

– reduce the monitoring period of final repositories to timescales within human experience

– simplify long-term safety issues associated with final disposition (elimination of most actinides and potentially some long-lived fission products)

– create pathways for secure and easily monitored use of nuclear materials

– Multi-recycle of transuranics can lead to very high utilization of energy content of uranium fuel


Advanced Recycling Technology: Addressing the Barriers

Enhanced Benefits

• Reduces HLW Volume and toxicity—complete change in disposal requirements

• Enables use of 90% or more of energy contained in fuel resources

• Potentially more proliferation resistant than direct disposal

Issues to be Addressed

• Still requires further R&D and commercial-scale demonstration

• Non-proliferation community remains largely opposed to any recycling

• Cost, commercialization, implementation – all unproven


NEA Nuclear Science Committee: Continuing to Explore Advanced Fuel Cycles

NEA Expert Groups: The Scientific Aspects of

Advanced Fuel Cycles

• Minor Actinide Separation

• Fuel fabrication

• Minor Actinide burning in LWRs and advanced reactors

• Different options for transmutation: homogeneous, heterogeneous

• Recycling

• Waste management

• Transition scenarios


Highlighting the R&D Needs for the Future: Nuclear Innovation 2050

• What technologies will be needed in 10 years? 30 years? 50 years?

• What research and development is needed to make these technologies available?

• Is the global community doing the R&D needed to prepare for the future?


2015 (375GWe) 2050(930 Gwe) 2100

REACTOR

FUEL/ FUEL CYCLE

WASTE/ DECOM

EMRGNG ENERGY SYSTEMS

CROSS C

GENII LTO AGEING GENIII NEW BUILD

GENIV SFR/LFR/SC SMR DEMO

ATF AND FUEL EFFICIENCY FNR FUEL MA FUEL

SMR/CPF AQUAEOUS/PYRO

DECOMMISSIONING EXTEND STORE

GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL

MULTI/P&T(ia ADS)

FLEXIBILITY IN ELECTRICITY

WIDER APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY

GENIV VHTR/GFR/MSR

Timeline is for technology readiness (for commercial deployment)

SCOPE


NEA NI 2050: Experts Meetings Begin in March

Experts Meetings on Reactor Technology – 2 to 4 March 2016 - Subgroup 1: Evolutionary Water Cooled Reactors, large and SMRs (water cooled), Gen IV SCWR - Subgroup 2: Innovative/Advanced Systems: FNRs, ADS, (V)HTR, MSR, including SMRs

Experts Meeting Fuels and Fuel Cycles –2 to 4 March 2016 - Subgroup 1: Fuel and Fuel Cycle for Evolutionary Reactors - Subgroup 2: Fuel and Fuel Cycles for Innovative/Advanced Systems

Experts Meeting Decommissioning and Waste Management –16 to 18 March 2016 - Subgroup 1: Decommissioning - Subgroup 2: Waste Management, mainly high level waste, extended intermediate spent fuel storage, final (geological) disposal of spent fuel (as waste) and vitrified waste Experts Meeting Emerging Energy Systems – 6 to 8 April 2016 - Innovative Energy Systems (nuclear flexibility in evolving electricity systems, non-electricity applications, hybrid systems, etc.)


NI 2050 Process and timeline

June 2015

January 2016

Dec 2016/April 2017

Scoping paper

Prep. of Survey

Filling the Survey Assemble and Analyse Survey

Road mapping

LAB SUMMIT

Implementation Frameworks

Implementation

Road mapping

Survey

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Financial Models

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Concluding Thoughts

• There is likely no perfect fuel cycle technology. But realistic assessment of options show true benefits to advanced P&T

• A global approach would be beneficial. A multinational approach would build confidence and share costs. Multinational operation of advanced recycle facilities is one concept many support.

• More RD&D is needed to determine the most favorable path forward. But today, nuclear technology programs do not appear to be on pace to make these technologies available by 2050.

• NI 2050 will highlight priority R&D needs on a global basis. But decisions made in each country will be essential—such as the future of vital R&D infrastructure.


Thank you for your attention

Advanced Recycling - jaea.go.jp · PDF fileAdvanced Recycling Technology: Addressing the Barriers Enhanced Benefits • Reduces HLW Volume and toxicity—complete change ... LAUNCH

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