Transition to a sustainable fuel cycle

In addressing the social acceptability pillar of sustainable development, an architecture comprised of long refuelling interval power plants with the centralization of fuel cycle and waste support services has a potential to provide a pathway to contain the hazard of proliferation without constraining widespread global use of nuclear energy. 

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Strategies for transition to a fissile self-sustainable symbiotic fuel cycle. 

Finally, institutional initiatives that hold a potential to facilitate the transition to a nuclear-based sustainable world energy supply, which meets the criteria for strengthening the proliferation resistance of a global nuclear fuel cycle, are presented in brief and the common features of small reactors without on-site refuelling that could facilitate their deployment with outsourced fuel cycle services are summarized. 

Further examination of the trade-offs to achieve a smooth transition to a globally sustainable nuclear fuel cycle would require additional dynamic system studies [11, 13]. 

From the perspective of a multi-decade transition to an integrated symbiotic fuel cycle, small reactors with a high conversion ratio CR > 1 offer an advantage over standard LWRs in securing a higher overall nuclear park conversion ratio. Further examination of the trade-offs to achieve a smooth transition to a globally sustainable nuclear fuel cycle requires additional dynamic system studies. 

Such an AC path is already being explored (eg, notably by India, Norway, China, Canada, and others), with the transition to a near self-sustaining predominantly thorium-fueled cycle being initiated by burning plutonium as the start-up fuel. The cycle thus reduces plutonium inventories/stocks during transition to a primarily thorium near breeder cycle using separated... 

Collins, E.D., Felker, L.K., Benker, D.E., Campbell, D.O. 2008. Closed nuclear fuel cycle technologies to meet near-term and transition period requirements. ATALANTE 2008 Nuclear Fuel Cycles for a Sustainable Future, May, Montpelher, France. 

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