Nuclear Energy Division 1

MIT Report on the Future of Nuclear Power in the United-States : review and

discussion

Eric ProustDirector, Industrial AffairsNuclear Energy Division

French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) eric.proust@cea.fr

 

Nuclear Energy Division 2

Needs for Energy during the 21st Century

• Threat of increasing climate disorders due to CO2 emissions

• Use of fossil fuels will decrease

• New needs : Hydrogen, heat, desalination …

Nuclear energy, because it is carbon-free, should play a major role in the next 50 years and be considered as a vital option

A view we fully share

Increasing energy demand

in the world by 2050

• Energy savings are necessary but not sufficient

• Renewable energy alone is not the right answer

Nuclear Energy Division 3

Ensuring the right conditions for this development…

Recommendations for government actions to encourage

the short term nuclear energy revival in the US

– Include new nuclear plants as an eligible option in any federal « carbon-free » energy portfolio standard

– Share cost of site banking, new plant design certification,and CCO licensing for plants to be built in the short term

– Provide a subsidy (production tax credit) to «  first mover » commercial NPPS

• We welcome these recommendations

Nuclear Energy Division 4

Challenges for Future Nuclear Energy Systems sustainability (waste,

resources)

safety & reliability

economics

resistance to proliferationand physical protection

Gen IVInternational

Forum

Gen IVInternational

Forum

U.S.A.U.S.A.

ArgentinaArgentina

BrazilBrazil

CanadaCanadaFranceFrance

JapanJapan

South South AfricaAfrica

United United KingdomKingdom

South South KoreaKorea

E.U.E.U.

Nuclear Energy Division 5

Closed Fuel Cycles : a path towards sustainability

– guaranty the long term safe conditioning of HLLLW by vitrification

– reduce the volumes of wastes and thus the repository capacity needs

– reduce the long term radiotoxic inventory of repositories

– and as a consequence ease the demonstration of their long term safety

• key role of public and political attitudes towards the feasability

and acceptability of HLW disposal

Plutonium recycling

Spent FuelNo reprocesisng

Uranium Ore (mine)

Time (years)

Rela

tive radio

to

xici

ty

P&T of MA

Pu +MA +FP

MA +FP

FP• Benefits of « advanced fuel cycles »

in terms of waste management :

Nuclear Energy Division 6

Closed Fuel Cycles : a path towards sustainability Unat

Actinides

Spentfuel

Vitrified Waste

FP

GEN IV FR

Treatment and

Re-fabrication

… towards Sustainability :• Full Actinides recycling and coupling with GEN IV Fast Reactors

• Minimization of wastes and preservation of uranium resources

• Cost reduction and resistance to proliferation

• the once-through option advocated by the MIT study for the

next decades does obviously not meet the requirements of a

sustainable nuclear development

Nuclear Energy Division 7

Closed Fuel Cycles and Economics

• Competitiveness of nuclear power generation in Europe

• Strong rules to guaranty transparency

• Costs of reprocessing and current MOX recycling :

- a very small penalty on the kWh cost

- consistent with European studies (OECD, Charpin-Dessus-Pellat

report…)

• Expected improvements in the cost-effectiveness of

Fuel reprocessing and recycling in the future

Nuclear Energy Division 8

Closed Fuel Cycles and Proliferation Resistance

• Risk of proliferation associated to current industrial

reprocessing and recycling is not underestimated today

• Up to now, no wrong use of nuclear materials coming from

commercial reprocessing and recycling

• Enriched uranium is more attractive and affordable than

plutonium

• Proliferation resistance features are considered at an early

stage for future GEN IV systems

• The once-through open cycle, with spent fuel direct geological

disposal, will leave plutonium mines to our future generations

Nuclear Energy Division 9

the MIT study and CEA’s perception

• Sustainability is an essential condition for enhancing the future role of nuclear energy systems

• Minimization of volume and radiotoxicity of waste is a key issue and an urgent matter for deserving public acceptance

• The optimization of natural resources is another essential sustainability feature

• For the short term, the MIT study provides numerous relevant and positive propositions to enhance nuclear energy revival in the US

• For the long term, we also share the view that Closed Fuel Cycles are the only option to meet sustainability

• Finally, we only disagree on how fast we need to implement the corresponding scenarios and technological developments