Closed Fuel Cycle Strategies andNational Programmes in Russia

A.V. Bychkov
RIAR, RUSSIA

9th IEM on Actinide and Fission Products Partitioning and Transmutation
Nimes, France, 25-29 September 2006

Unique Current Situation
International Aspect

Important political changes in the World
during first half of this year

Global Restart of Nuclear Power

Conception of Federal Task Program “Development ofatomic power complex of Russia on period of 2007 2010 and on prospect up to 2015"
Direction 1: Development of Nuclear Power Capacities
Direction 2:Development and renovation of fuel cycle
capacities
Direction 3: “Development of capacities on managing
with spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes ofnuclear power plants and preparation of nuclear
reactors for decommissioning“
Direction 4: Transition to innovative nuclear
tecnologies

Creation of New Technological Platform – way forsimplification of the Nuclear and Radiation safety
program
Construction of BN-type fast reactors in Russia.
Pilot facilities for Closing of Fuel Cycle up to2030.
NTP would increase Radiation and Nuclear Safetylevel (reduction of accumulation rate for SNF andRAW), but it would demand creation of newscientific and technological basis

Implementation prospects
for BN-800 (BN-1600)

Combination of pyroprocess and vibropacking
technology are proposed for creation of BN-type
MOX fuel productions and recycling in different
scenarios. Similar combination for pellet MOX isalso under consideration

Depleted U(oxides)
Metal Pu
(weapon)Pu storage(weapon or civil)

Granulated MOXfuelPuO2 (civil)

Module forvibropacking andassembling

Pyro-processmodule – MOX
production

PuO2
reprocessed

Storage of spent
VVER, RBMK fuelSpent FAs

BN spentFAs

BN Reactor
BN FAsPlant for spent fuelreprocessing (for LWR orother)

BN FAsBN-800reactorGranulated MOXfuelPyro-processmodule – MOX
production

Module forvibropacking andassembling

BN FAsIn future:
For BN and BREST
For MOX and (U,Pu)N
Near NPP plant for closed cycle (pyro-reprocessing )Long-term tasks of NTP with BN
Creation and construction of BN-type reactors with MOX-fuelClosed Fuel Cycle of the Fast reactors based on compact
recycling methods for SNF and simplified technologies of fuelpins manufacture.
Based principles of this Closed Fuel Cycle:
Minimization of expenses for Spent fuel recycling, fuelpins refabrication and waste treatment
Minimization of radioactive waste volume and complete
recycle of minor-actinides for transmutation in the same
system
Excluding of pure fissile materials (Pu) from recycling
technologies and arrangement all procedures in remotesystems.

Unique Current Situation
International Aspect
INPRO:
Consolidation of IAEA role
as a world community
forum on Nuclear energy
development
Transition to Phase 2 (R&Dinternational programs)

RussiaPresident Putin initiative on
Global Infrastructure ofNuclear Fuel Cycles (GINFC):
Develop International Nuclear
Fuel Treatment Centers

Generation IV International
ForumUS
President Busch initiative– GNEP – Global Nuclear
Energy partnership
Russia is invited both in
GIF and also in GNEP

IAEA is International Forum on INS

G8 summit on energy security (July 2006)

Proposals to INPRO Phase II
Initial approaches
INPRO is a acting mechanism of international R&D cooperationin the field of new generation Nuclear power
Jointing idea for INPRO Phase II – international project ofcommercial fast reactor with safety CNFC (may be related tomain approaches of GNEP)
Key element – Pilot INFC on a base on one of Russian nuclear
center including “demo” international SNF Storage and semiindustrial scale experimental Facility for testing anddevelopment of different type fuel cycle technologies ofdifferent type industrial reactors SNF reprocessing (recycling)and conditioningProposals to INPRO Phase II
International coordination of R&D in the field of national INS
development, mutual comparison and international examination
Possibility to elaborate and demonstrate of new INPRO roles:“Umbrella” organization for new applied scientific projects
Regulation and organization of multilateral projects and studies

Develop and support the links with other international and nationalProjects, Forums and Programs
GIF - GEN IVGNEPInternational Nuclear Fuel Treatment Centers Initiative

European FP6 (future FP7)
Russian NTP
Other Member States national programs

Application for international R&D cooperation in frame of
INPRO Phase II – Pilot complex of future Russian New
Technological Platform (NTP) - BN-800 + RIAR + MAYAK
reprocessing plant

CP Proposals to INPRO Phase II

G8 including RF

Gen IV / GNEP

Joint initiatives
on R&D in frameof INPRO Phase
IIInternational
Commercial FR+ CNFC

INPRO / IAEA

International Project ofCommercial Fast ReactorPilot INFCC on a base on
one of Russian nuclearcenterPilot complex offuture Russian NTP BN-800 + RIAR +MAYAKPilot complex of Russian NTP - BN-800 + RIAR + MAYAK

BN- 800 reactor

MOX(U, Pu) N ?

MA

1. Irradiation in BOR-60, MIR,
SM-3, BN-600/800 reactors:•Fuel, Fuel pins, FAs•

Structural materials•In-pile devices

2. Fuel production,
reprocessing, conditioning
3. PIE
4. RAW treatment

Recycling

RIAR / MayakPossible flows of spent fuelVVER-440, VVER-1000
RBMK
BN-600, BN-800
Submarines, test reactors etc.
MA- U, Pu, MA- U, Pu, MA- U, Pu, MA- U, Pu,In case of foreign spent fuel
PWR, BWR- U, Pu, MA
CANDU- U, Pu, MA
To store? To reprocess? To treat?

Basic approaches to SF reprocessing
Materials demanding for utilization

Reprocessing only in case of using of materials in fuel cycle
Excluding of recovery of basic components for stockpiles

Partitioning and recycling instead
reprocessing
All components must be introduced in closed
fuel cycle
Technologies flexibility and modules
principle
Criteria:
Minimization of wastes (and storage and disposal costs)

Non-proliferation (inherent barriers)

As an example
Combined fuel cycle of FBR with utilization of LWR SNF andreplacement of LWR SNF by UO2 after reprocessing
UO2 and some
FP instead
LWR SNF

Storage for
LWR SNF
Complex for
SNF storage
Pyrochemical reprocessing
Fuel production and assmbling

BN reactor
BN FAs

HLW

Complex for
wastes treatment
and storage

Complex for waste
storage and disposal

Intermediatestorage for BN
SNF

BN irradiatedFAs

BN fuelcycle

Possible flows for BN type reactors
and LWR SNF
Reprocessing of LWR SNF is possible for twotasks

recovery of slightly enriched uranium for re-enrichment(SNF with medium burn-up)
Recovery of Pu and MA for burning

Program for BN type reactors introduction (BN800,BN-1600,BREST) demands Pu (+ MA)
One initial loading of BN-800 demands 160-220
tons of LWR SNF (+ annual additions)
Uranium after recovery of Pu(+MA) could store
instead LWR SNF with 5-10 times volume
reduction

Triple-level structure of future Russian NFC
National Complex “VVER typereactors + large Reprocessing plant “U forenrichment
or disposal

VVER

SFAs

Local Complexes “Fast reactor+ on-site reprocessing”

PuReprocessing Plant

SFAs storage

FRRegionalintermediate scale
Reprocessing Plants

FRFRMOXSFAs

As anexample

DOVITA fuel cycle
PuO2

UO2

NpO2

FAs production
AFBR reactor
Targetassemblies

FAs

Partially treatment without
reprocessing(U, Pu, Np)O2(Am, Cm)O2 +residual REE

Pyrochemical reprocessing
Phosphate concentrate ofFP’s to preparing for storage

Used chloride salts containingof residual Cs-137 and Sr

H e te ro g e n e o u s re c y c lin g

Targets production

Fuel and fuel pins production

H o m o g e n e o u s re c y c lin g

Inert matrix or UO2(Am, Cm)O2

Recent important projects in fast reactor cycle(RIAR)
Modernization of semi-industrial facilities for
MOX-fuel production
Irradiation of 21 LTAs with vibro-MOX in the BN600 reactor including PIE
MOX fuel Production for so called Hybrid Core of
BN-600 reactor
Concept on MOX-fuel production for the BN-800
reactor (including recent facilities)
Concept and experimental validation of closed fuelcycle for BN-800

Stages for Implementation of Closed fuel cycle with
MOX fuel. RIAR view
Nearest possible stages for industrial implementation:
Stage 0:Hybrid core of the BN-600 reactor (1500 kg of MOX fuel and50 FAs annually), as pilot project for technology
implementation and collection of industrial and irradiation
statistics.
Stage 1:Creation of MOX production lines for the BN-800 reactor withpower grade Pu (up to 12 ton of MOX fuel and about 400 FAs
annually) on the basis of MAYAK and RIAR cooperation withminimization of capital expenses
Stage 2:
Construction of the BN-800 closed fuel cycle (on MAYAK ornear reactor) or for the next commercial BN reactor, asintegrated plant with reactor, on the basis of developedtechnologies

Conclusions
A number of technologies for recycling andtreatment of Spent fuel are developed
Production of recycling fuel after reprocessing
could be organized in “non-proliferation” mode
Flexible technological basis for International SNF
Centers is developed
Nearest and key candidate options is Fast reactor
with closed fuel cycle as module fordemonstration of technical aspects futureInternational Centers for treatment of SNF