AER WORKING GROUP F ACTIVITIES IN 2019
29th Symposium of AER on VVER Reactor Physics and Reactor Safety (2019, Energoland, Mochovce NPP, Slovakia)
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Perspectives and Sustainability
Abstract
Regular 20th session of the AER Working Group F «Nuclear Fuel Cycle Perspectives and Sustainability» was organized by National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute” held in Kurchatov sq.,1, Moscow, Russian Federation, July 22 – 25, 2019. 25 specialists from 4 organizations from 2 countries participated in the preparation of 13 reports submitted to the group F. These reports cover a variety of topics, including:
1. Advancement of Nuclear Power structure and technologies for sustainable development.
2. The choice of strategy for development of two-component (ТR and FR) Nuclear Energy System with closed nuclear fuel cycle.
3. Keeping two-component Nuclear Energy System supplied with fuel during TR and FR lifetime taking into account regenerated plutonium sharing.
4. REMIX- and MOX-technologies for VVER operating in closed nuclear fuel cycle.
5. Methods for regenerated uranium isotopic composition correction.
6. Heavy nuclides employment as burnable absorbers.
7. Thorium involvement in VVER reactors fuel cycle.
8. VVER with fuel self-supporting.
9. Incineration of MA and transmutation of long-lived RAW in critical and subcritical reactors.
10. Requirements to RAW handling technologies.
Working group F has consolidated the understanding that
– minimization of stored spent nuclear fuel (SNF) volume,
– gradual transfer nuclear energy system (NES) to the fuel self sufficiency mode (reliable supply with fuel through fissile isotopes breeding from U-238 and Th-232)
can be achieved by
– closing the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC),
– including fast reactors (FR) in the NES,
– improving fuel use in thermal reactors (TR).
The next 21st meeting of working group F “Prospects and sustainability of the nuclear fuel cycle” is scheduled to be held in Moscow (Russia) in July 2020.