Future nuclear systems: fuel cycle options and guidelines ...€¦ · Spent Fuel. Reprocessing. The...

CEA / Nuclear Energy Division OECD NEA 11th IEMPTSan Francisco, USA – November 2, 2010

1

OECD Nuclear Energy Agency 11th Information Exchange Meeting onActinide and Fission Product Partitioning and Transmutation

Future nuclear systems: fuel cycle options and guidelines for research

Bernard Boullis, Dominique Warin

CEA / Nuclear Energy Division, France

[email protected]


2

The French electricity

Gravelines

Chooz

Cattenom

Fessenheim

Bugey

St AlbanCruas

Tricastin

PenlyPaluelFlamanville

St Laurent DampierreBellevilleChinon

Civaux

Blayais

Golfech

900 MW 1 300 MW 1 500 MW

Nogent Seine

Gravelines

Chooz

Cattenom

Fessenheim

Bugey

St AlbanCruas

Tricastin

PenlyPaluelFlamanville

St Laurent DampierreBellevilleChinon

Civaux

Blayais

Golfech

900 MW 1 300 MW 1 500 MW

Nogent Seine

nuclear

hydro

fossil

- Nuclear > 75 % of electricity generation- Low-carbon energy mix : # 4g CO2 per kwh

- 58 PWR- 63 GWe- >410 TWh per year


3

Closing the Fuel cycle with processing … an industrial reality

Mines Enrichment

FuelFabric.

Reactors& Services

Recycling :MOX Fuelfabrication

EnrichedUranium

UltimateWasreDisposal

Front-End Sector Reactors & Services Sector Back-End Sector

Uranium recyclable

Plutonium

ChemistryNatural Uranium

Spent FuelReprocessing

The example of the French situation :

• 58 PWRs 410 TWh annually• > 75 % of French electric production

• Fuel processing : more than 25 yearsof experience

• 1200 tHM/yr of spent fueldischarged from the French PWRs

• 850 tHM /yr of reprocessed spent fuel domestic + foreign

• Until now: ~ 25 000 tHM spent fuelreprocessed

• 150 tHM/yr MOX fuel producedand used in 22 PWRs

• U recycled in 4 PWRs


4

Recycling technologies : decades R and D !

U, Pu, FPs,MAssolution

HULLS

SPENT FUEL HNO3

TBP

FPs, MAs

U

Pu

DISSOLUTION EXTRACTION

high yields…

…technological waste low amounts


5

Final waste vitrification

180 liters

#15% FPs

# 10 glass canisters /reactor 1GWe /year --- # 600 canisters /year


6

Glass canisters disposal in the deep geological repository

1mSv/y

1μSv/yD

ose

at fi

nal o

utle

t

100 000 y 1 M y

(ANDRA, « Clay Report », 2005)

Time after disposal


7

Current recycling strategy : the rationale

- saving uranium resources, still at low scale(#10% of French nuclear electricity from MOX fuels)

- mastering the growth of plutonium inventory(Pu flux adequacy : Pu from processing= Pu refueled)

- safe and secure ultimate glass waste, without plutonium

- the plutonium available for future use is safely concentrated in MOX spent fuels (7 UOX -> 1 MOX)

- an already large industrial experience, operated under international safeguards

( #25 000 tons SNF reprocessed, # 2000 tons MOX produced)

to be pursued with Generation III reactors


8

World context : a very significant energy need in the near-future

World population

• Significant increase of the energy need,even when promoting “green economy”– likely increase of world population:

up to ~11.109 by 2100– economic growing of Asian

countries, especially India andChina

• The increase of electricity is still muchhigher, due to energy transfer fromfossil energies

SOURCE : AIEA

8,13,84,14,03,9

1,60,8

0,70,2

0 2 4 6 8 10

Consommation d'énergie par habitant (TEP)

U.S.A.

U.E.

Allemagne

FRANCE

JAPON

MONDE

Pays émergents

CHINE

INDE

Energy consumption/inhabitant (Tep)

Unavoidablegrowing

1,1 G.hab1,4 G.hab


9

Towards a sustainable nuclear energy

« A development which meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs »

Environmental-friendlyLow-GHG emissionResources preservation

Reasonable economic costsEnergetic independenceAvailable resources

Safety and reliabilityMastered and limited risks

Sustainability is a must


10

Long term sustainable nuclear systems

- efficient burning of plutonium- full use of uranium- no enrichment needs- potentialities at a later step for improving waste management

by minor actinide recycling

Fast Reactors, the best answer…

0.000.100.200.300.400.500.600.700.800.901.00

U235

U238

Np23

7

Pu23

8

Pu23

9

Pu24

0

Pu24

1

Pu24

2

Am24

1

Am24

3

Cm24

4

Fiss

ion/

Abso

rpt

PWRSFR

Robert N. HillArgonne National Laboratory233rd ACS National Meeting – Chicago,, 2007


11

FUEL FABRICATION RECYCLING

WASTEFPs

(MAs)(40t)

Plutonium (#20%)depleted uranium

(40t)

FRs

Uranium (#80%)

MOX-FR450t

used MOX-FR450t

(minor actinides (# 5t))

Actinide multi-recycle in a FR fleet( principle values, self-balanced fleet, 60 GW/y)

Long term sustainable nuclear systems

A progressive deployment ?- initially fueled with plutonium, coming from spent MOX- breeding gain could be adjusted in the future

(according to energy needs)


12

Generation 3+

Generation 4Existing fleet40-year plant life

Plant life extension beyond 40 years

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

2040

2045

2050

2055

2060

Average plant life : 48 years

Inst

alle

d ca

paci

ty (M

We)

60 000

ASTRIDFast reactor Prototype

?

From PWRs to FRs…a French schematic pathway

?


13

The 1991 and 2006 French Acts: frame of the Program

• Three Research thematics for nuclear waste management:– recycle by P and T to decrease waste amount and toxicity– geological deep repository, retrievable– confinement and interim storage

• A “roadmap”– 2012 : industrial potentialities of the diverse recycling options, and

decision to build a prototype for transmutation tests by 2020

– 2015 : repository defined, and operation by 2025

December 30, 1991 and June 28, 2006


14

1- Adaptation(specific or innovative fuels)

Fuel cycle technologies : guidelines for R and D…


15


2- Improvements(a « sustainable goal »…)



16

Current improvement: increasing proliferation-resistance of Pu-recycling

PUREXMELOX

COEXTM

L15 - ATALANTE L15 - ATALANTE

(N2H5+,H+)2,9UIV

1,1PuIII0,9

(C2O4)5 .nH2OPuIV(C2O4)2 .6 H2O

Pu(IV) U(IV)+Pu(III)

• In order to avoid production of pure Pu in the recycling process, implementation of the COEXTM process– Co-extraction of U and Pu– Oxalic coconversion of U

and Pu: precipitation of oxalic solution, then calcination to UPu oxide solid solution


17

Current improvement for vitrification : the cold crucible technology

• Cooled wall, direct induction heating• Corrosion issues drastically decreased• Higher temperature, higher reactivity, FPs higher concentration glass

hot wall vitrification process

Waste stream

Hot wall crucible

Glass frit

Calciner

Glass canister

Waste streamGlass frit

Calciner

CCIM

Glass canister

CCIM vitrification process

in operation at La Hague , 2010


18



3- ExplorationP and T, minor actinide recycling



19

Minor actinide recycling: drivers

1mSv/y

1μSv/y

(ANDRA, « CLAY REPORT », 2005)

0,1

1

10

100

1000

10000

10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000Temps (années)

Rad

ioto

xici

té re

lativ

e

HA area: 390 ha

1MyREPOSITORY « FOOTPRINT »

Without transm

utation-120y

Am

transmutation-120y

SNF direct disposal

Current glasses

MA transmutationU ore

FINAL WASTE RADIOTOXICITY HA area: 110 ha


20

MA Partitioning and Transmutation: the 2012 milestone

• Design Separation processesTransmutation devicesTransmutation fuels

for industrial implementation

• Assess benefits / costs of MA P and T strategies

• Explore transition scenarios

• MA = Am, Cm, Np Interest of a specific approach vs. grouped approach


21

MA partitioning options

Pu Np Am Cm

GANEX-2 FPsGANEX-1

U

Spentfuel

PUREX /COEX

(U) Pu (Np)

EXAm

U (Np) Am

FPs& Cm

Spentfuel

DIAMEX /SANEX

U (Np) (U)Pu(Np)Am Cm

PUREX /COEX

SANEX-TODGAor

FPsSpentfuel

Enhanced separation:

Grouped separation:

Sole-Am separation:

Date of HA test


22

MA Recycling options…

20-24

21-23

19-23

18-20

19-17 23-21

23-17

21-17

17-16 22-2120-1918-17

19-22

19-2017-18

17-20

22-1920-17

18-1816-16 21-21

21-19

20-22

21-20

20-23

20-21

18-21

23-18

23-2021-18

19-1917-17 22-22

19-21

22-18

22-2020-18

18-1916-17

17-2317-22

18-22

17-19

16-2016-21

16-2216-23

16-2417-24

18-2419-24

20-1621-16

22-1623-16

24-1624-17

24-1824-19

24-20

15-16

14-17

13-18

12-19

11-20

10-21

09-22

08-23

16-15

17-14

18-13

19-12

20-11

21-10

22-09

23-0822-08

21-0820-08

20-07

08-2208-21

08-2007-20

09-19

10-18

11-17

12-16

13-15

14-14

15-13

16-12

17-11

18-10

19-09

09-2009-21

10-19

20-09

19-10

21-09

24-08

25-0826-08

08-2408-25

08-26

15-2515-24 16-25

17-2518-25

19-25

15-2315-22

15-2115-20

16-1916-18

15-19

14-2014-21

14-2214-23

14-2414-25

14-2615-26

16-2617-26

18-26

20-25

19-26

21-24

22-23

23-22

20-26

21-25

22-24

23-23

24-2224-21

25-2125-20

26-2025-1926-1925-18

26-1825-1726-1725-16

26-1625-1526-15

26-14

24-15

25-14

23-15

24-14

22-15

23-14

21-15

22-1421-14

20-15

19-16

20-14

19-15

18-16

08-19

19-08

15-1715-18

14-1814-19

13-1913-20

13-2112-21

12-2013-22

12-22 13-2312-23 13-24

12-24 13-2512-25

12-2613-26

12-2713-27

12-28

14-27

13-28

15-27

14-28

16-27

15-28

17-27

16-2817-28

18-2718-28

19-2720-27

19-2820-28

21-2621-27

22-2522-26

23-2423-25

24-2424-23

25-2225-23

26-2126-22

27-2027-21

27-19 28-2028-1927-18

28-1827-1728-17

28-1627-16

27-15

28-1527-1428-1427-13

20-20

28-1328-12

26-13

27-12

25-13

26-12

24-13

25-12

23-13

24-12

22-13

23-12

21-13

22-12

20-13

21-1220-12

19-1419-13

18-1518-14

17-15

18-23

21-22

23-1922-17

19-18

17-21

08-27

15-1514-15

15-14

13-14

14-13

24-25

25-2425-25

28-2128-22

17-13

30-20

17-12

19-11

22-1023-10

24-1025-10

26-10

27-10 28-11

30-1030-11

30-1230-13

30-1430-15

30-1630-17

30-1830-19

11-27

10-28

09-29

08-30

07-31

27-11

28-10

29-09

30-08

31-07

19-31

31-19

07-30

18-11

20-10

23-0924-09

25-09

26-0927-09

28-09

21-0722-07

23-07

24-0725-07

26-0727-07

28-0729-07

30-07 31-08

29-10

31-0931-10

07-21

31-11

07-22

31-12

07-23

31-13

07-24

31-14

07-25

31-15

07-26

31-16

07-27

31-17

07-28

31-18

07-29

08-2808-29

09-28

09-30

30-09

27-0828-08

29-08

09-18

10-17

11-16

12-15

15-12

16-11

17-10

18-09

14-1613-16

13-1712-17

12-1811-18

11-23

11-19

10-20 11-2111-22

10-2210-23

09-2311-24

10-2409-24

11-2511-2610-25

09-2509-26

09-2710-27

10-2611-28

10-2911-29

10-3011-30

19-30

21-29

22-27

24-26

27-2227-23

16-14

29-21

16-13

18-12

21-1122-11

23-1124-11

25-1126-11

29-1129-12

29-1329-14

29-15

29-1729-18

29-1929-20

12-3013-30

15-30

17-30

14-30

16-30

18-30

12-29

20-29

22-28

23-26

13-2914-29

16-29

18-29

15-29

17-29

19-29

10-31

18-31

20-30

21-28

23-27

26-2326-24

11-3112-31

14-31

16-31

13-31

15-31

17-31

08-3109-31

29-16

20-24

21-23

19-23

18-20

19-17 23-21

23-17

21-17

17-16 22-2120-1918-17

19-22

19-2017-18

17-20

22-1920-17

18-1816-16 21-21

21-19

20-22

21-20

20-23

20-21

18-21

23-18

23-2021-18

19-1917-17 22-22

19-21

22-18

22-2020-18

18-1916-17

17-2317-22

18-22

17-19

16-2016-21

16-2216-23

16-2417-24

18-2419-24

20-1621-16

22-1623-16

24-1624-17

24-1824-19

24-20

15-16

14-17

13-18

12-19

11-20

10-21

09-22

08-23

16-15

17-14

18-13

19-12

20-11

21-10

22-09

23-0822-08

21-0820-08

20-07

08-2208-21

08-2007-20

09-19

10-18

11-17

12-16

13-15

14-14

15-13

16-12

17-11

18-10

19-09

09-2009-21

10-19

20-09

19-10

21-09

24-08

25-0826-08

08-2408-25

08-26

15-2515-24 16-25

17-2518-25

19-25

15-2315-22

15-2115-20

16-1916-18

15-19

14-2014-21

14-2214-23

14-2414-25

14-2615-26

16-2617-26

18-26

20-25

19-26

21-24

22-23

23-22

20-26

21-25

22-24

23-23

24-2224-21

25-2125-20

26-2025-1926-1925-18

26-1825-1726-1725-16

26-1625-1526-15

26-14

24-15

25-14

23-15

24-14

22-15

23-14

21-15

22-1421-14

20-15

19-16

20-14

19-15

18-16

08-19

19-08

15-1715-18

14-1814-19

13-1913-20

13-2112-21

12-2013-22

12-22 13-2312-23 13-24

12-24 13-2512-25

12-2613-26

12-2713-27

12-28

14-27

13-28

15-27

14-28

16-27

15-28

17-27

16-2817-28

18-2718-28

19-2720-27

19-2820-28

21-2621-27

22-2522-26

23-2423-25

24-2424-23

25-2225-23

26-2126-22

27-2027-21

27-19 28-2028-1927-18

28-1827-1728-17

28-1627-16

27-15

28-1527-1428-1427-13

20-20

28-1328-12

26-13

27-12

25-13

26-12

24-13

25-12

23-13

24-12

22-13

23-12

21-13

22-12

20-13

21-1220-12

19-1419-13

18-1518-14

17-15

18-23

21-22

23-1922-17

19-18

17-21

08-27

15-1514-15

15-14

13-14

14-13

24-25

25-2425-25

28-2128-22

17-13

30-20

17-12

19-11

22-1023-10

24-1025-10

26-10

27-10 28-11

30-1030-11

30-1230-13

30-1430-15

30-1630-17

30-1830-19

11-27

10-28

09-29

08-30

07-31

27-11

28-10

29-09

30-08

31-07

19-31

31-19

07-30

18-11

20-10

23-0924-09

25-09

26-0927-09

28-09

21-0722-07

23-07

24-0725-07

26-0727-07

28-0729-07

30-07 31-08

29-10

31-0931-10

07-21

31-11

07-22

31-12

07-23

31-13

07-24

31-14

07-25

31-15

07-26

31-16

07-27

31-17

07-28

31-18

07-29

08-2808-29

09-28

09-30

30-09

27-0828-08

29-08

09-18

10-17

11-16

12-15

15-12

16-11

17-10

18-09

14-1613-16

13-1712-17

12-1811-18

11-23

11-19

10-20 11-2111-22

10-2210-23

09-2311-24

10-2409-24

11-2511-2610-25

09-2509-26

09-2710-27

10-2611-28

10-2911-29

10-3011-30

19-30

21-29

22-27

24-26

27-2227-23

16-14

29-21

16-13

18-12

21-1122-11

23-1124-11

25-1126-11

29-1129-12

29-1329-14

29-15

29-1729-18

29-1929-20

12-3013-30

15-30

17-30

14-30

16-30

18-30

12-29

20-29

22-28

23-26

13-2914-29

16-29

18-29

15-29

17-29

19-29

10-31

18-31

20-30

21-28

23-27

26-2326-24

11-3112-31

14-31

16-31

13-31

15-31

17-31

08-3109-31

29-16

HOMOGENEOUS (#1% MA, diluted in the fuel)

Once-through targets (inert matrix)

Multi-recycled MA-bearing blankets (# 10-20% MA on UO2)

HETEROGENEOUS:

« DEDICATED STRATA » (ADS)


23

Heterogeneous recycling: an option for MA transmutation

MA

Pu

U-PuU-MA

FP Reprocessing Unit

CORE : UPuO2

“BLANKETS” : UAmO2 or UAmCmO2


24

Am Transmutation

241Am

242Am

243Am

244Am

242Cm

243Cm

244Cm

241 Pu

242 Pu

243 Pu

239 Pu

240 Pu

238 Pu

β-16,02h

β-4,96h

239 Np

238 Np

β-2,36j

β- 10,1h

β+ 16,02h

82,7%

17,3%

90% transmuted

30% fissionned

ECRIX in Phénix

Metallic FPs

Initial AmO2


25



3- ExplorationP and T, minor actinide recycling

4- Alternative process« Dry processes… »



26

Fleet and Fuels will evolve…

(?)

(?)

(HBU, MOX)

(feeding FRs)

(multi-recycle FRs)

(minor actinide recycle? )

TODAY

THEN?

THEN?

THEN?

FRs

Processes and technologies : flexible, efficient, cost-effective,clean, proliferation-resistant…

LWRs


27

En résumé… towards sustainable nuclear energy, the 2012 milestone

Nuclear energy, as a GHG-free energy, is anticipated to develop in thenext century to answer the increase of energy needs and has to besustainable

Current Pu mono-recycling with MOX in PWR already contributes inFrance to decrease waste volume and toxicity, while saving U resources

first step to sustainability

Increasing sustainability for nuclear energy requires improved actiniderecycling, and shifting stepwise towards fast reactor systems in orderto:

1st step : multi-recycle Pu and U for saving resources

2nd step : recycle minor actinides for stabilizing their inventories, reducing thewaste toxicity, reducing the repository volumes and costs

… strong implications for public acceptance

In the framework of the 2006 waste management Act, France developedand has now a portfolio of several MA partitioning processes thatbasically demonstrate the feasibility of their recycling, in homogeneousor heterogeneous mode


28

En résumé… towards sustainable nuclear energy, the 2012 milestone

For 2012, relative benefits of these different options have to beassessed in terms of economy, “densification” of the final storage,industrial feasibility, flexibility, safety, proliferation resistance,…

Industrial feasibility : design / optimize separation processes,transmutation fuels and their fabrication processes, and gathertechnical elements for industrial operation evaluation

Both science-based and process-oriented actinide separation andtransmutation research is continuing at CEA, within French andinternational collaborations (EU ACSEPT project, ACTINET-I3 network,USA, Japan, Russia,…)

An integrated test is planned : closing the Am cycle bypreparing Am-bearing fuels using Am recovered from spentfuel by the EXAm process: fuel to be tested at pellet scaleunder fast flux, then after 2020 at pin scale using the ALFA(Atalante Laboratory For Actinides bearing fuel manufacturing)and ASTRID (Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor forIndustrial Demonstration)

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