Equilibrium activity of nuclear fuel cycle objects in the future nuclear power of Russia

Atomic Energy ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. 776-782
Author(s):  
E. O. Adamov ◽  
I. Kh. Ganev ◽  
A. V. Lopatkin ◽  
V. G. Muratov ◽  
V. V. Orlov
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
The Future ◽  
Equilibrium Activity

Scenario Analysis on the Benefits of Multi-National Cooperation for the Development of a Common Nuclear Energy System Based on PWR and LFR Fleets

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Ciotti ◽  
Jorge L. Manzano ◽  
Vladimir Kuznetsov ◽  
Galina Fesenko ◽  
Luisa Ferroni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Proper Time ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Base Load

Financial aspects, environmental concerns and non-favorable public opinion are strongly conditioning the deployment of new Nuclear Energy Systems across Europe. Nevertheless, new possibilities are emerging to render competitive electricity from Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) owing to two factors: the first one, which is the fast growth of High Voltage lines interconnecting the European countries’ national electrical grids, this process being triggered by huge increase of the installed intermittent renewable electricity sources (Wind and PV); and the second one, determined by the carbon-free constraints imposed on the base load electricity generation. The countries that due to public opinion pressure can’t build new NPPs on their territory may find it profitable to produce base load nuclear electricity abroad, even at long distances, in order to comply with the European dispositions on the limitation of the CO2 emissions. In this study the benefits from operating at multinational level with the deployment of a fleet of PWRs and subsequently, at a proper time, the one of Lead Fast Reactors (LFRs) are analyzed. The analysis performed involves Italy (a country with a current moratorium on nuclear power on spite that its biggest utility operates NPPs abroad), and the countries from South East and Central East Europe potentially looking for introduction or expansion of their nuclear power programmes. According to the predicted evolution of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) a forecast of the electricity consumption evolution for the present century is derived with the assumption that a certain fraction of it will be covered by nuclear electricity. In this context, evaluated are material balances for the front and the back end of nuclear fuel cycle associated with the installed nuclear capacity. A key element of the analysis is the particular type of LFR assumed in the scenario, characterized by having a fuel cycle where only fission products and the reprocessing losses are sent for disposition and natural or depleted uranium is added to fuel in each reprocessing cycle. Such LFR could be referred to as “adiabatic reactor”. Owing to introduction of such reactors a substantive reduction in uranium consumption and final disposal requirements can be achieved. Finally, the impacts of the LFR and the economy of scale in nuclear fuel cycle on the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) are being evaluated, for scaling up from a national to a multinational dimension, illustrating the benefits potentially achievable through cooperation among countries.

Environmental impact of the nuclear fuel cycle: Fate of actinides

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (11) ◽  
pp. 859-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney C. Ewing ◽  
Wolfgang Runde ◽  
Thomas E. Albrecht-Schmitt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Nuclear Reactions ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Bearing Materials ◽  
Electronic Configurations

The resurgence of nuclear power as a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has, in parallel, revived interest in the environmental impact of actinides. Just as GHG emissions are the main environmental impact of the combustion of fossil fuels, the fate of actinides, consumed and produced by nuclear reactions, determines whether nuclear power is viewed as an environmentally “friendly” source of energy. In this article, we summarize the sources of actinides in the nuclear fuel cycle, how actinides are separated by chemical processing, the development of actinide-bearing materials, and the behavior of actinides in the environment. At each stage, actinides present a unique and complicated behavior because of the 5f electronic configurations.

Status of the Support Researches for the Regulation of Nuclear Facilities Decommissioning in Japan

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke Masuda ◽  
Yukihiro Iguchi ◽  
Satoru Kawasaki ◽  
Masami Kato
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Review Process ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Safety ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Power Stations ◽  
The Future ◽  
Research Plan

In Japan, 4 nuclear power stations are under decommissioning and some nuclear fuel cycle facilities are expected to be decommissioned in the future. On the other hand, the safety regulation of decommissioning of nuclear facilities was changed by amending act in 2005. An approval system after review process of decommissioning plan was adopted and applied to the power stations above. In this situation, based on the experiences of the new regulatory system, the system should be well established and moreover, it should be improved and enhanced in the future. Nuclear Industry and Safety Agency (NISA) is in charge of regulation of commercial nuclear facilities in Japan and decommissioning of them is included. Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES) is in charge of technical supports for NISA as a TSO (Technical Support Organization) also in this field. As for decommissioning, based on regulatory needs, JNES has been continuing research activities from October 2003, when JNES has been established. Considering the “Prioritized Nuclear Safety Research Plan (August 2009)” of the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan and the situation of operators faculties, “Regulatory Support Research Plan between FY 2010–2014” was established in November 2009, which shows the present regulatory needs and a research program. This program consists of researches for 1. review process of decommissioning plan of power reactors, 2. review process of decommissioning plan of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, 3. termination of license at the end of decommissioning and 4. management of decommissioning waste. For the item 1, JNES studied safety assessment methods of dismantling, e.g. obtaining data and analysis of behavior of dust diffusion and risk assessment during decommissioning, which are useful findings for the review process. For the item 2, safety requirements for the decommissioning of nuclear fuel cycle facilities was compiled, which will be used in the future review. For the item 3, measuring method, release procedure and analysis code for the site release were studied for the establishment of the license termination process in the future. From FY 2010, based on the new plan, we have started the researches for the standardization of review process of decommissioning plan for power reactors and nuclear fuel cycle facilities, establishing the process and criteria of license termination and appropriate method of management of decommissioning waste based on the waste form confirmation process.

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