Lecture on Nuclear Waste and Recycling

Key Points

• Nuclear Waste Overview:
  • Most nuclear fuel rods still contain over 90% of their energy when discarded.
  • Up to 96% of spent nuclear fuel is recyclable.
  • Few countries actively recycle nuclear waste.

France's Nuclear Recycling

• France's Recycling Plant:
  • Operated by Orano, located in western France.
  • France: highest share of nuclear power globally (two-thirds of electricity from nuclear).
  • All spent nuclear fuel in France is transported to this plant for recycling.
  • The plant features 24,000 rooms, two-thirds of which are underground.
  • Daily handling of 110-ton transportation casks containing nuclear waste.

Steps in Nuclear Recycling

1. Fuel Rod Removal:
   • Fuel rods are removed from transportation casks in sealed chambers using remote machinery.
   • Control room operation.
2. Cooling:
   • Fuel rods are stored in cooling pools for 5-7 years.
   • Pools contain baskets with nuclear fuels submerged under four meters of water.
3. Disassembly and Separation:
   • Chemical process: separation of uranium, plutonium, and fission products.
   • Metal cladding separated from fuel pellets.
   • Dissolved in nitric acid, then solvent extraction for uranium and plutonium.
   • Remaining fission products are non-recyclable.
4. Vitrification:
   • Trapping fission products in glass and storing them.
   • Reduces storage space required.

Plutonium and Safety Concerns

• Plutonium Handling:
  • Plutonium can be used for nuclear weapons (e.g., India in the 1970s).
  • Orano uses MOX fuel (mixing plutonium with uranium), reducing fresh uranium use by 30%.
  • MOX fuel accounts for 10% of France's electricity.
  • Transportation of plutonium involves high-security measures.

Cost and Global Practices

• Economic Aspects:
  • Recycling is expensive due to specialized facilities and processes.
  • Mining fresh uranium is currently cheaper.
  • France recycles more than it can reuse; excess recycled uranium is stored.
  • Recycling does not eliminate the need for long-term waste storage.
• Global Practices:
  • Russia, India, and China are expanding recycling capacities.
  • UK ceased recycling due to high costs.
  • Experimental methods (e.g., pyroprocessing) are still in lab phases.
• Strategic Choice:
  • France sees recycling as maintaining energy sovereignty, supported by state-owned operations.
  • Future nuclear technologies and economic shifts may change viability.

Conclusion

• Recycling Nuclear Waste:
  • Not universally feasible due to economic and technical challenges.
  • Countries like France, Russia, and China are exceptions due to strategic decisions.
  • Long-term storage solutions still required for nuclear waste.

Reminder: Subscribe for more videos every Friday.