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Related Topic: Reprocessing

What to do with the UK's civil plutonium?

What to do with the UK's civil plutonium?

The UK's 140-tonne stockpile of civil plutonium could be used as fuel for thermal reactors or combined with the country's 100,000-tonne supply of depleted, natural and low-enriched uranium to fuel new fast reactors - or disposed of as waste in a future geological disposal facility - says a new report from The University of Manchester's Dalton Nuclear Institute exploring the options.

Waste & Recycling 05 September 2023

France, Japan to cooperate on MOX fuel recycling studies

France, Japan to cooperate on MOX fuel recycling studies

Japan's Federation of Electric Power Companies announced it will work with France's Orano on demonstration research and development for the reprocessing of used mixed oxide fuel.

Waste & Recycling 22 May 2023

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Extract energy from used nuclear fuel, says environmental group

Extract energy from used nuclear fuel, says environmental group

If existing inventories of used nuclear fuel were recycled and repurposed as fuel for advanced fast reactors, it could generate zero-carbon electricity for Europe for up to 1000 years, according to international environmental campaign group RePlanet.

Waste & Recycling 04 April 2023

Rokkasho reprocessing plant completion delayed again

Rokkasho reprocessing plant completion delayed again

Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited has announced that it now expects the reprocessing plant under construction at Rokkasho in Japan's Aomori Prefecture to begin commercial operation in 2024 instead of 2022, as had been previously scheduled.

Waste & Recycling 05 January 2023

US DOE awards funds for nuclear recycling projects

US DOE awards funds for nuclear recycling projects

The US Department of Energy has selected twelve projects looking to advance recycling of used nuclear fuel - or UNF - from commercial power reactors to receive USD38 million of funding. The projects, led by universities, private companies and national laboratories, will work towards reducing the impacts of used fuel disposal, DOE said.

Waste & Recycling 24 October 2022

Sellafield ends nuclear fuel reprocessing after 58 years

Sellafield ends nuclear fuel reprocessing after 58 years

Just before midnight on 17 July, the final used fuel was fed into Sellafield's Magnox Reprocessing Plant's charge machine and dissolved in nitric acid to separate out the plutonium and uranium. It is a process which has been used to reprocess nearly 55,000 tonnes of Magnox fuel since 1964.

Waste & Recycling 21 July 2022

US companies partner on nuclear recycling technology  

US companies partner on nuclear recycling technology
 

A Memorandum of Understanding signed by Energy Northwest and Curio sees Energy Northwest as an industry partner and potential off-taker of products produced through Curio's NuCycle nuclear waste recycling process.

Waste & Recycling 08 July 2022

Orano contracted to reprocess Fugen used fuel

Orano contracted to reprocess Fugen used fuel

Orano has been awarded a contract by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency for the transport and treatment in France of 731 used fuel assemblies from the Fugen experimental Advanced Thermal Reactor in Japan. In 2018, Orano was contracted to conduct preparatory work for the transport operations.

Waste & Recycling 28 June 2022

Sellafield processes last of fast reactor fuel

Sellafield processes last of fast reactor fuel

The Magnox reprocessing plant at the Sellafield site in Cumbria has reprocessed the final box of used fuel from the UK's fast reactor programme being stored in the plant's ponds. Meanwhile, preparations are being made for the demolition of the iconic Pile One chimney that dominated the landscape over Sellafield for decades.

Waste & Recycling 24 June 2022

UK reprocessing plant to end operations

UK reprocessing plant to end operations

The Magnox reprocessing plant at Sellafield will end its operations in July, marking the completion of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's Magnox Operating Programme.

Waste & Recycling 17 May 2022