Author: Eric Lin
Editors: Maria Flores, Hanni Yang
Artist: Leo Li
In December 1951, the first nuclear reactor produced electricity at the National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS) in Idaho. Since then, nuclear power has been a mainstay in American homes, with a fifth of America’s power coming from nuclear power since the 1990s. Out of all energy sources, nuclear energy has the highest energy capacity at 92%, meaning it can produce maximum power more than 92% of the time annually, while other energy sources, such as wind and solar, will have periods of low energy production throughout the year. This is nearly double of coal’s highest energy capacity and triple of solar energy’s highest energy capacity. However, producing nuclear power has one major drawback: the waste. High-level nuclear waste can remain radioactive for tens of thousands of years and must be stored or disposed of to be securely isolated for an extended period. Currently, in the U.S., 85,000 metric tons of nuclear waste are stored on-site in nuclear plants and continues to grow by 2,000 metric tons annually. To put it into perspective, one metric ton is about 2,204 pounds, around the same weight as an average car. Additionally, the federal government has spent billions of dollars in damages to utilities for failing to dispose of this waste, which may continue to grow.
One solution in which countries utilizing nuclear energy have dealt with waste is through nuclear recycling. Nuclear power plants work by having fuel rods of concentrated uranium submerged in water that releases heat and turns the water into high-pressure steam that can be used to turn turbines to generate electricity, similar to an advanced version of a steam engine. The fuel rods produce energy when the uranium inside decays into different elements, leaving behind waste products that require power plants to replace the old fuel rods with new ones to keep the power plant running at maximum efficiency. Although the old fuel rods comprise 96% usable fuel and only 4% waste products, a specific process is required to separate the waste products from the fuel rods so that only the usable fuel remains. These old fuel rods are transported to a reprocessing plant, where they undergo separation through pyroprocessing. Pyroprocessing is a process that uses high temperatures to cause physical and chemical changes. The first step involves chopping the spent fuel into small pieces before submerging them in a molten salt bath of sodium chloride and potassium chloride. Then, an electrical current passes through the bath and causes separation as uranium and plutonium, the material we want, go from the anode(the positive side) to the cathode(the negative side), forming crystals that can be harvested and turned into fuel rods to be shipped out to power plants. The unwanted waste is left in the salt mixture, where it is treated and solidified for storage.
Although several European countries, Russia, China, and Japan have policies to reprocess used nuclear fuel, the U.S. notably doesn’t have a policy to reprocess used nuclear fuel. Instead, the U.S. stores nuclear waste on site at nuclear plants. The U.S. doesn’t reprocess used nuclear fuel because three decades ago the idea of nuclear recycling was considered too expensive. However, current technological innovations in nuclear recycling and the expense of storing nuclear waste on site have driven many in congress to advocate for nuclear recycling. Looking at France and its nuclear recycling process, 58 nuclear power plants produce nearly 72% of France’s energy, with the government instituting a policy of recycling unused plutonium and uranium left over and mixing it into an oxide for fuel. According to the 6th National Report under the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, France spent 17% less on natural uranium to operate its plants. However, it is to be noted that the process of nuclear recycling in France requires close and regular coordination between various industrial actors, including those who manage reactors and those who manage fuel and disposal infrastructure. This may be difficult to implement in the United States, but once the foundation is laid, it could yield multiple benefits including limited nuclear waste, saving uranium and other materials used in plants, and strengthening energy independence and sustainability.
In summary, nuclear recycling is the process in which plants could use unused plutonium, uranium, and other fissile materials (materials that can cause a nuclear reaction chain used to power nuclear reactors) left over and turn that back into energy which will help lessen the cost for plants and the federal government to dispose and store waste while also strengthening energy independence and sustainability.
Citations:
Argonne National Laboratory. “Argonne Explains Nuclear Recycling in 4 Minutes.”
YouTube, 30 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlMDDhQ9-pE.
“France’s Efficiency in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: What Can ‘Oui’ Learn?” IAEA,
Is U.S. Reprocessing Worth the Risk? | Arms Control Association.
“Nuclear Power Is the Most Reliable Energy Source and It’s Not Even Close.” Energy.gov,
Processing of Used Nuclear Fuel - World Nuclear Association. world-nuclear.org/information-
Touran, Nick. “What Is Nuclear Recycling?” What Is Nuclear?,
“Understanding Nuclear Fuel Recycling | Orano.” orano.group,
US Nuclear Power Policy - World Nuclear Association. world-nuclear.org/information-
“When Nuclear Waste Is an Asset, Not a Burden.” IAEA, www.iaea.org/bulletin/when-
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