COMPLETE DOCUMENT (1862 kb) - OECD Nuclear Energy Agency

As a conclusion, the SPIN studies should shed light on the type and amount of wastes
produced under the various partial or complete recycling options for plutonium and minor actinides in a
power reactor park, to define the technical operations to be performed, and to evaluate their cost over
uncertain time frame. This leads to the emergence of new concepts, as new extractants for partitioning,
or innovative systems to transmute minor actinides and long-lived fission products.
3.2 Summary of current strategy studies
Strategic assessment studies of P&T have been undertaken in Europe and in Japan. The
Japanese study was conducted by JNC and emphasised the role of FRs and Actinide Burner reactors.
An important strategy study has been undertaken under the leadership of CEA in the framework of the
3rd European Union R&D programme on Nuclear Fission. This strategic assessment programme has
been continued on an international basis within the European Union and expanded during the current
R&D programme (1994-1998). These studies are summarised below.
3.2.1 European Union strategy study [77,160]
3.2.1.1 Reference and P&T scenario
Reference scenarios with and without conventional reprocessing, and scenarios using P&T are
compared to assess their possibilities.
The three reference scenarios are considered:
• the Rl scenario covers the period from 2000 to 2100. The reactor population consists of
PWRs supplied with UO 2 fuel at 4% 235 U enrichment and reaching a mean burn-up of
47.5 GWd/tHM. The installed capacity is 120 GWe, i.e. 80 reactors, with an annual
electrical production of 740 TWh (roughly the present installed generating capacity in the
European Union). The fuel cycle is open without reprocessing.
• scenarios R2 and R3 both include a plutonium recycling strategy but in different types of
reactors. In the R2 scenario, plutonium is recycled as MOX fuel in PWRs. The fuel cycle
is closed by PUREX reprocessing with the losses of 0.3% for U and 0.5% for Pu. In the
R3 scenario it is recycled in fast reactors(FRs: 1 500 MWe) and the losses during FR fuel
reprocessing are 0.9% for U and 0.25% for Pu. Recycling in PWRs is assumed to be
applicable from the outset of the scenario (in the year 2000) while recycling in FRs is
assumed not to begin before 2020, considering the lack of industrial maturity in this
solution. The two scenarios therefore differ only after 2020.
Three scenarios are considered for partitioning and transmutation, two with available
technologies, RP1-1 and RP1-2, and one with very advanced technologies, RP2:
• the RP1-1 scenario is compared with the R2 scenario. The transmutation of Np and Am
starts from 2010 in PWRs in homogeneous or in heterogeneous mode. In homogeneous
mode, neptunium or americium oxide is mixed with the UO 2 fuel to the extent of 1%. The
losses during reprocessing are 0.3% for U, 0.5% for Pu, 5% for Np and Am and 100% for
(Cm).
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