Fuel Cycle Strategies and Plutonium Management in Europe
An overview of current nuclear power generation and fuel cycle strategies in Europe is presented, with an emphasis on options
for the management of separated plutonium in the medium to long term. Countries which have opted for reprocessing of spent fuel
have had to contend with increasing inventories of separated plutonium. Of the various potential options for utilisation or disposition
of these stockpiles, only light water reactor (LWR) mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel programmes are sufficiently technologically
mature to be fully operational in several European countries at present. Such reprocessing-recycling programmes allow for a stabilisation
of the overall separated plutonium stocks, but not for a significant reduction in the stockpile. Moreover, the quality of
recycled plutonium decreases at each potential step of re-irradiation. Therefore, optimised or new ways of managing the plutonium
stocks in the medium to long term are required.
HAAS Didier;
HAMILTON David;
2008-02-12
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
JRC43417
0149-1970,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC43417,
10.1016/j.pnucene.2007.09.001,
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