Reprocessing Used Nuclear FuelA technological overview & proposal for Yucca Mountain

Augustus MerwinPresented to the National Security Forum3-26-15

Posted with permission by theUS Nuclear Energy Foundation

There is NO “Waste”

• Waste is a chemistry term for a product that has been burned to completion

• Used Nuclear Fuel (UNF) has 1,000,000 times the energy density of gasoline

2

What is Used Nuclear Fuel?

japanfocus.org 3

Plutonium • Currently there are ~77,000 tons of UNF in the US

containing ~770 tons of Pu

• That is 8 times the US defense stockpile of Pu

• This quantity of material is sufficient to produce 4x107

MWdays of electricity

• That is enough energy to power 100% of the US for more than 100 years!

4

Reprocessing & Recycling

Wiki.uiowa.edu 5

Benefits of R&R• Reduce the quantity of material by 97%

• The remaining material is safe within 300 years

• We can confidently design a repository to house 2,000 tons of UNF that will last 300 years

• This would settle even Harry Reid’s fears

6

The Old Problem with Reprocessing• Reprocessing technology is fundamentally linked to

nuclear weapons technology

• India detonated the “Smiling Buddha” in 1974 using Puisolated using PUREX reprocessing

• President Carter banned reprocessing as a result

• President Reagan reversed the ban, but the psychological damage was done

7

A Global Prospective• The US has lost global superiority in nuclear technology

• The French corporation Areva is the contractor responsible for all reprocessing facilities world wide• EVEN THE US PROGRAM!

• France, Russia, Japan, and S. Korea make up the modern nuclear export countries

• All of this is based on US technology

8

Proliferation and the US Fuel Cycle• There are 435 nuclear

reactors in 31 countries

• More than 35 countries have the nuclear know how necessary to build a bomb

• How much difference does the US fuel cycle make?

bbc.co.uk 9

Defense Materials• The US / Russia PMDA states that each country will

dispose of 34 tons of Pu using MOX fuel• To date none of this material has been disposed of

• The US MOX project is $3 billion over budget and years behind schedule

• This project is necessary to convert Pu metal into a form that is usable in current reactors

10

The IFR ProgramThe Integral Fast Reactor Program was initiated to develop an advanced nuclear fuel cycle that was…

• Proliferation resistant

• Inherently safe

• Cost effective

• Scalable

anl.gov 11

Success using EBR II• All of these goals were achieved!

inl.gov 12

Pyroprocessing

if.uidaho.edu 13

The DifferencePUREX Pyroprocessing

• Aqueous • Isolates Pu

• Consumes ZERO water• Collects Pu with minor actinides

14

A Proposal for Nevada• Take ownership of the UNF stockpile

• Develop a state trust as due compensation

• Use Yucca as an interim storage facility

• Build a pyroprocessing plant and burner reactor

• Sell the “carbon free” electricity to California for pure profit

15

The Nuclear Waste Fund

• The NWF has accumulated $41 billion specifically allocated to the disposition of UNF

• A pyroprocessing facility and reactor would cost significantly less than this sum

16

Benefits for the Nation

• Consolidate the UNF to a single secure location

• Negate the need for the MOX plant

• Fulfill 30 year old agreements with the nuclear industry

• Re-emerge as the world leader in advanced nuclear technology

17

Benefits for Nevada

• Create thousands of construction jobs

• Establish a state trust and give federal money to Nevadans

• Bring federal money into our schools & universities

• Make Nevada the world leader in nuclear technology

18