Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section
Advanced Nuclear Fuels and Fuel Cycles
Supporting enhancement of nuclear fuel cycle materials processing and management technologies
Objective: To increase the capability of interested Member States to develop advanced or innovative technologies by fostering information exchange, including the assessment of the beneficial use of such innovative technologies to resolve some of the issues associated with existing nuclear fuel cycles.
Details: Today various new technologies and concepts with regard to nuclear fuel cycle are being developed, proposed or conceived in interested Member States for improving proliferation resistance, economical efficiency, safety and environmental issues. Development of advanced and innovative fuel cycle technologies include pyro-process, partitioning and transmutation of especially minor actinides, Direct Use of spent PWR fuel in CANDU (DUPIC) system, fuel cycle concepts with minimum waste release or with proliferation resistance, use of thorium and inert-matrix fuel, and other synergistic fuel cycles combined with reactor systems. These new technologies and concepts propose unique features and special attributes to enhance proliferation resistance, resource conservation, environmental preservation, economic efficiency, safety, and/or waste reduction.
There are a number of activities implemented under this project. These are: