Nuclear energy fuel reprocessing

As of 1995, there were no nuclear fuel reprocessing plants operating in the United States. Other nuclear nations have constmcted second- or third-generation reprocessing faciUties. These nations have signed the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, and the faciUties are under the purview of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

In plutonium-fueled breeder power reactors, more plutonium is produced than is consumed (see Nuclearreactors, reactor types). Thus the utilisa tion of plutonium as a nuclear energy or weapon source is especially attractive to countries that do not have uranium-enrichment faciUties. The cost of a chemical reprocessing plant for plutonium production is much less than that of a uranium-235 enrichment plant (see Uranium and uranium compounds). Since the end of the Cold War, the potential surplus of Pu metal recovered from the dismantling of nuclear weapons has presented a large risk from a security standpoint. 

This facility design concept was not considered in White House reviews of reprocessing during the Ford and Carter Administrations, nor as an option for support by President Reagan, who had been elected on a platform to support reprocessing of commercial spent firel. The ERDA and the DOE had reassigned responsibilities for commercial fuel cycle to its Division of Reactor Development (later Office of Nuclear Energy) which supported pilot plant concepts of its national laboratories and rejected concepts based on successful experience and lessons learned from that experience. 

Guillaume, B. Germain, M. Puyou, M. Rouger, H. Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing, RECORD 87 Soc. Francaise d Energie Nucleaire Paris, 1987 Vol. 1, p. 433. 

Ramanujam, A. Venkataraman, N. Spent fuel reprocessing, In Facets of Nuclear Science and Technology, S.K. Aggarwal and D.D. Sood (Eds.), Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai, India (1996), pp. 137-147. 

Wastes from Fuel Reprocessing, CONF-721107 (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency, Paris). 

The decisions on building the current NPPs in Finland were made in late 1960 s - early 1970 s. At that time, the prospects for nuclear energy were very promising and spent fuel was regarded as an asset due to the worth of its plutonium and uranium as nuclear fuel. Accordingly, the contract for the supply of the Loviisa NPP included clauses for the return of spent fuel to the supplier of the fresh fuel in Soviet Union. Though no such stipulations included in the supply contracts for the Olkiluoto NPP, it was taken obvious that the operator would later make contract with a French or British reprocessing company. 

Harold F. McFarlane (2004) Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing, in The Encyclopedia of Energy, Elsevier, Inc. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (NRC). A federal agency established in 1975 to regulate all commercial uses of atomic energy, including construction and operation of nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, and research applications of radioactive materials. It is also responsible for safety and environmental protection. Its offices are at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852-2738. 

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