Knowledge Tree
spent nuclear fuel
Also known as: used nuclear fuel
Facts (12)
Sources
Nuclear Energy and Climate Change Mitigation everycrsreport.com Apr 1, 2025 8 facts
claimReprocessing spent nuclear fuel is more expensive than direct disposal and results in the separation of plutonium, which is a key material for nuclear weapons.
procedureReprocessing of spent nuclear fuel involves dissolving or melting the fuel to separate uranium and plutonium for recycling into new fuel assemblies, while solidifying fission products for disposal.
claimReprocessing spent nuclear fuel could reduce the need for mining, conversion, and enrichment stages of the nuclear fuel cycle and potentially reduce the hazardous life of radioactive waste.
referenceThe Department of Energy's (DOE) nuclear energy R&D program activities include reactor modeling and simulation, experimental processing of spent nuclear fuel, development of advanced reactor concepts, and testing of accident tolerant fuels for existing light water reactors (LWRs).
procedureThe nuclear fuel cycle consists of the following stages: uranium mining, uranium milling, conversion to uranium hexafluoride, enrichment in the fissile isotope U-235, fabrication of fuel assemblies, nuclear fission in a reactor, spent nuclear fuel storage, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing (not currently done commercially in the United States), permanent waste disposal, and nuclear plant decommissioning.
claimThe Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) requires the excavation of a deep underground repository for the storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel.
procedureThe procedure for managing spent nuclear fuel involves: (1) removing fuel assemblies from the reactor, (2) storing them in an adjacent pool of water for cooling and radiation shielding where water is continually circulated through heat exchangers, and (3) transferring them to dry casks with concrete or steel shielding for long-term storage.
procedureSpent nuclear fuel must be placed into long-term dry storage on the plant site until offsite storage or disposal facilities become available, regardless of the decommissioning timeline chosen.
Clean Energy Solutions Must Include Nuclear | ClearPath clearpath.org 2 facts
claimThe U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined that used nuclear fuel can be safely managed for well more than 100 years at existing plant sites.
procedureCurrent methods for storing used nuclear fuel at reactor sites involve first using cooling pools and then using dry casks made of concrete and steel.
The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment ... nationalacademies.org 1 fact
claimThe lack of an agreed-upon national policy and plan for the interim storage and final disposal of spent nuclear fuel is a major impediment to private investment in advanced nuclear power plant technologies in the United States.
What Role Does Nuclear Energy Play in the Race to Net Zero? earth.org Jul 19, 2023 1 fact
claimGeneration IV fast neutron reactor designs are inherently proliferation resistant and possess the capability to consume stocks of spent nuclear fuel.