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goals in this field. Since once-through transmutation is hard to be envisaged, the recovery of
iodine in the irradiated target and its reprocessing, should also be the object of research.
5. A changing environment
The research in transmutation experienced a revival in the mid-eighties, essentially in the context
of waste management within programmes which gave a definite value to Plutonium and which implied
the reprocessing of irradiated fuel.
The transmutation approach was successively identified in some countries with the approach to Pu
elimination (both weapon and civil Pu). Reactor physics problems were indeed very similar. In that way,
the interests of the two previously separated communities (i.e. Pu = resource versus Pu = liability), were
somewhat federated, in particular in terms of fuels development and their reprocessing by pyroprocesses.
The third step in the evolution of the transmutation approach is underway at present, since the
objectives of a “Generation IV” or, in general, the objectives of a future nuclear power development
(beyond the horizon 2030-2050) are being globally re-discussed.
Transmutation and waste minimisation are then part of the potential criteria to define future
energy systems (reactor plus fuel cycle).
In this changing environment, it can be useful to single out some concepts or research areas,
which can have impact on the future of transmutation studies.
5.1 Evolutionary reactor concepts
A few well worked-out reactor concepts have emerged in the last few years, which, besides
attractive safety and economics characteristics, have a potential to be “inherent” MA transmuters in
the homogeneous recycling mode.
Besides the IFR concept, often quoted as a paradigm in the present paper and the Energy
Amplifier proposed by C. Rubbia, we can remind the BREST lead-cooled fast reactor concept
developed in Russia [30], the CAPRA reactor in France [31], the SCR (Super-critical Water Cooled)
concept, developed in Japan [32], but also the APA concept [33], despite the fact that it concerns
mostly an innovative assembly design for PWRs.
In particular, the nitride fuel foreseen for the BREST reactor, favours the MA transmutation by
neutron spectrum hardening. Using a pyrochemical process, it is possible to envisage for this fuel, by
multi-recycling, the transmutation of the actinide produced during irradiation. This mode, close to the
one indicated for the IFR concept, has the same advantages and of course similar drawbacks, in
particular due to the build-up of spontaneous fission neutron emitters (Cm isotopes, cf. isotopes, see
§2.1 and Table 1).
Finally, interest in gas-cooled fast reactors has been renewed, in particular to keep open the fast
reactor (FR) option, due to FR flexibility with respect to resources utilisation and their potential for
waste minimisation. In view of the “political” opposition to Na as coolant in some countries, the gas
cooling is being revisited.
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