Conventional nuclear power plants use ceramic fuel and nor- mally only consume 3 or 4 percent of their fuel before it must be replaced. That fuel is stored as waste. The IFR's uranium, plutonium and zirconium metal fuel was designed to reach 15 percent burnup, and researchers are predicting it may reach 22 percent. Fuel testing continues to provide data for future licensing reviews. Efficient fuel performance means fuel can remain in the reactor longer thereby reducing the cost and environmental risks of fuel replacement.
Research shows the fuel can be subjected to a wide range of operating conditions safely.
Fuel recycling at the reactor site is a key IFR feature. Completion of the FCF renovation will permit full demonstration of the IFR concept and is critical to future commercial development. The IFR's fuel recycling recovers the fuel that is not burned in its first cycle in the reactor. That fuel is formed into new rods, placed in fuel cladding and returned to the reactor. This process is repeated until essentially all of the fuel is used to produce electricity.