NENE 2008 Conference - Nuclear Society of Slovenia. Boullis – Portoroz, september 8,2008 NENE 2008 Conference NENE 2008 Conference PORTOROZ, September 8-11,2008 FUEL CYCLE OPTIONS

NENE 2008 ConferenceB. Boullis – Portoroz, september 8,2008

NENE 2008 ConferencePORTOROZ, September 8-11,2008

FUEL CYCLE OPTIONSFOR SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR SYSTEMS

MAIN GUIDELINES OF THE FRENCH PROGRAM

Bernard BOULLISCEA, Nuclear Energy Division


NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS in FRANCE• 34 900 MWe units• 20 1300 MWe units• 4 1500 MWe units

GRAVELINES

CHOOZ

CATTENOMNOGENT / SEINE

ST-LAURENT

CHINONCIVAUX

LE BLAYAIS

GOLFECH

CRUAS

TRICASTIN

ST-ALBAN

BUGEY

DAMPIERRE

PENLYPALUEL

FLAMANVILLE

BELLEVILLE

FESSENHEIM

58 LWR units63 GWe installed>400 net TWh/ year

Connection to the grid :– Unit 1 (Fessenheim 1) : 1977– Unit 58 (Civaux 2) : 1999

+


FRENCH ELECTRICITY

0

100

200

300

400

500 TWh

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

541

Hydro

Nuclear

Fossil

64

421

57


NUCLEAR ENERGY IN FRANCE

• >75 % ELECTRICITY SUPPLY• ~ 1000 tons spent fuel unloaded each year

A « CLOSED » FUEL CYCLE :

- UOX SPENT FUEL REPROCESSED

- U RECYCLED ( 2 REACTORS)

- Pu RECYCLED (20 REACTORS)


THE PUREX PROCESS

U, Pu, FPs,MAssolution

HULLS

SPENT FUEL HNO3

TBP

FPs, MAs

U

Pu

DISSOLUTION EXTRACTION


FISSION PRODUCTS VITRIFICATION

compacted Hulls180 liters

15% FPs

1GW reactor: 10 canisters per year


GLASS ALTERATION KINETICS

Alté

ratio

n

Time1 µm/50d at 50°C 1 µm/1000 years at 25°C

5 cm


Reactors --> ≈ 400 TWhe/yr

Spent Fuelcooling pools

UOX fuel fabrication~ 1000 HMt/year

Natural Uranium~ 8000 t/year

Enrichment~ 5,5 MSWU/year

TODAY FRENCH CLOSED FUEL CYCLE




Reprocessing~ 850 HMt/yr












40 HMt/yrre-enriched URT






MOX Fuel fabrication100 HMt/yr







Reactors --> ≈ 400 TWhe/yr(from MOX fuel : 30 to 40 TWhe/yr)










Reactors --> ≈ 400 TWhe/yr(from MOX fuel : 30 to 40 TWhe/yr)



HL Waste :- glass canisters(120m3)- hulls canister(180m3)








SPENT FUEL REPROCESSING AND RECYCLING

LA HAGUE

MARCOULE

MELOX PLANT>1200t manufactured

UP2-UP3 PLANTS>20 000 t processed


WHY REPROCESSING AND RECYCLING ?

• TO BURN FISSILE MATERIALS;

• TO DECREASE WASTE AMOUNTSAND LONG-TERM TOXICITY;

• TO STABILIZE FISSION PRODUCTS.


LONG TERM RADIOTOXICITY OF SPENT FUEL

10

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

1010

10 100 1 000 10 000 100 000 1 000 000

Time (years)

Rad

ioto

xici

tyIn

vent

ory

(Sv/

TWhe

)

Total UOX Fuel (45 GWd/t)PuMinor ActinidesFission ProductsResidual U

(Ingestion Doses Coefficients from ICRP72)

Main contributors [1000 – 10.000 years] : Pu >> MAs >> FPs

90%

1E+1

1E+2

1E+3

1E+4

1E+5

1E+6

1E+7

1E+8

1E+9

1E+10

10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000

Tem ps (années)

Inve

ntai

re ra

diot

oxiq

ue (S

v/TW

he)

Total com bustibleP lutoniumUraniumActinides m ineursProduits de fission

1010

109

108

107

106

105

104

103

102

10


NUCLEAR ENERGY IN FRANCE: TRENDS FOR THE FUTURE

A « CLOSED FUEL CYCLE » !• WITH CURRENT GEN II LWRs

(today 22 years old in average)

• THEN WITH GEN III EPRs

• THEN WITH GEN IV FAST REACTORS


WHY FAST REACTORS ?

Fission fraction is higher in fast spectrum(up to 50% in Pu-240)

(more excess neutrons , less higher actinide)

0.000.100.200.300.400.500.600.700.800.901.00

U235

U238

Np23

7Pu

238

Pu23

9

Pu24

0Pu

241

Pu24

2Am

241

Am24

3Cm

244

Fiss

ion/

Abso

rpt

PWRSFR

Fission to absorption ratio


FROM GENERATION III TO GENERATION IV•LWRs: many advantages,

but can’t satisfy alone sustainability.

•Sustainability requires fast neutron systems•to efficiently burn plutonium, and fully use uranium•to reduce efficiently long-term radiotoxicity.

•new concepts at industrial maturity :two or three decades(Gen III deployement & operation)

• Plutonium stored in spent LWR- MOX fuelscould allow around 2040 the progressive start-up of several fast reactors.


Generation 3+

Generation 4Existing fleet40-year plant life

Plant life extension beyond 40 years

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

2040

2045

2050

2055

2060

Average plant life : 48 years

A SCENARIO FOR FRENCH NPPs

Source : EDF

Inst

alle

d ca

paci

ty (M

We)

60 000


Generation 3+



0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

2040

2045

2050

2055

2060



Inst

alle

d ca

paci

ty (M

We)

60 000?


Generation 3+



0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

2040

2045

2050

2055

2060



Inst

alle

d ca

paci

ty (M

We)

60 000

EPR, 1st of a kind

?


Generation 3+



0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

2040

2045

2050

2055

2060



Inst

alle

d ca

paci

ty (M

We)

60 000

EPR, 1st of a kind

Fast reactor Prototype?


FRENCH PRESIDENT, 6 january, 2006

« …many countries think to the next generation of nuclear reactors, for 2030-2040, which will produceless waste and will use in a better way fissile materials . I decided to launch now the design, by the CEA teams, of a prototype of such a reactor, whichwill be commissionned by 2020.We will cooperate, obviously, with industrial and international partners who would propose to joinus for this project… »


GUIDELINES FOR THE PROTOTYPE…- SODIUM FAST REACTORS

- near 600 MWe, loops or pool, ..?.

- increased safety ,competitivity, iso-generation,easier in-service inspection …

-GFR, the main alternative-access to high temperature applications …

-International cooperation, an experimental reactor possibly in Europe (50 MWth)?

-A « challenging » fuel !

(ADS , in the frame of international programs)

-


Generation 3+



0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

2040

2045

2050

2055

2060


WHICH PROCESSES FOR THE FUTURE FUEL CYCLES?

Inst

alle

d ca

paci

ty (M

We)

60 000

LH plants, 40 years operation

?


FUTURE FUEL CYCLE TECHNOLOGIES:WHAT PROCESSES ?

• SOLVENT EXTRACTION, FIRST !– high separation yields !– low amount of secondary waste !

• THE MAIN ALTERNATIVE: PYRO-PROCESSES

• OPTIONS ARE OPEN (goals,fuels, strategies…) NEW CHALLENGES FOR R&D


RECYCLING TOMORROW…

• 1-IMPROVE:• Not higher recovery yields• Cheaper, lower waste amount…




• 2-ADAPT: • to spent fuels (HBU,MOX,others…)• to requirements or strategies (COEX …)

A NEED: FLEXIBLE PROCESSES !


THE COEX CONCEPT

FP&MAR T

U

UU & Pu recycled,

PUREX

PuR T

U

U Pu

U & Pu recycled, COEX

FP&MA

Today… Future plants?…


THE COEX PLANT

COEXTreatment &Refabrication

new fuel

Universal canister

Spent fuel

LWR2nd/3rd Gen

FR 4th Gen

Spent fuel

new fuel


THE COEX PLANT

COEXTreatment &Refabrication

new fuel (MOX)

Universal canister

Spent fuel

Integrated, no « pure Pu »,reservations…

LWR2nd/3rd Gen

FR 4th Gen

Spent fuel

new fuel


AND FINAL WASTE DISPOSAL ?

VLLW



LLW VLLWANDRA FACILITIES



LLW VLLW

HL LLW

ANDRA FACILITIES


FINAL WASTE : THE 1991 FRENCH ACT

• 3 RESEARCH THEMATICS :

– partitionning & transmutation of LLRNs ;

– deep repository ;

– confinment & interim storage.

• 2006 : a public debate, and a new bill

30, december, 1991


FINAL WASTE RADIOTOXICITY

0,1

1

10

100

1000

10000

10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000Temps (années)

Rad

ioto

xici

té re

lativ

e

GLASSESFPsONLY

GLASSESFPs+MAs

SPENT FUEL

TIME after unloading (years)

U ore


THE FRENCH 2006 ACT (RW management)

PRINCIPLES :

– RECYCLE (reprocess)to decrease waste amount & toxicity

– RETRIEVABLE GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY, for ultimate waste

A « ROADMAP » :–2012 : assess the industrial potentialities

of diverse P&T options(prototype by 2020)

–2015 : repository defined(operation by 2025)

28, june, 2006




• 2-ADAPT: • to spent fuels (HBU,MOX,others…)• to requirements or strategies (COEX …)

• 3-EXTEND: recover MINOR ACTINIDES ? (Np, Am, Cm)


NEW EXTRACTANTS DESIGN : MAIN CRITERIA• Ability to separate

• Affinity• Selectivity• Reversibility

• Medium effects• Solubility• Stability / hydrolysis, radiolysis

• Industrialization• Kinetics• Physical properties• Cost

• Secondary waste minimization


MINOR ACTINIDE RECOVERY: A POSSIBLE PATHWAY

Two

step

stra

tegy

Two

step

stra

tegy

Spent Fuel

U, Pu Np

Ln

PUREXPUREX

SANEXSANEX

FissionProducts DIAMEXDIAMEX CO-EXTRACTION

of MAs and LnCO-EXTRACTION

of MAs and Ln

SEPARATIONof Mas from LnSEPARATION

of Mas from LnAm, Cm


2005 HOT RUNS

Two

step

stra

tegy

Two

step

stra

tegy

Spent Fuel

U, Pu, Np

Ln

PUREXPUREX

SANEXSANEX

FissionProducts DIAMEXDIAMEX CO-EXTRACTION

of MAs and LnCO-EXTRACTION

of MAs and Ln

SEPARATIONof Mas from LnSEPARATION

of Mas from LnAm, Cm

(15 kg UOX spent fuel)

99.9 %<0.01 %

99.9 %


WHICH OPTION FOR THE FUTURE ?

R T

U

U PuU & Pu recycled,

COEX

Homogeneousrecycling

R T

U

FP

U Pu AM

R T

U

MAU Pu

FPFP&MA

MA heterogeneousrecycling

R T

U

UU & Pu recycled,

PUREX

Pu

FP&MA R T

U

U Pu

FP

TADS

« double strata »

MA


MA MULTI RECYCLE : an OPTION in FR

core : UPuO2 “blankets” : UMAO2



Reprocessingplant




Reprocessingplant

FPs


U,Pu U, MA


EXPERIMENTAL MA-BEARING FUELS

(U80%, Pu18,7%, Np0,6%, Am0,6%, Cm0,1%)O2

U90 Am 10 O2

Samples manufactured in ATALANTE Labs

Homogeneous

Heterogeneous

(U80%, Pu18,7%, Np0,6%, Am0,6%, Cm0,1%)O2


FROM SOLUTIONS TO FUELS…

Atalante/L15

U, Pu

U, Pu, Np, Am

Continuous operation

ATALANTE – L15

U, Pu, Np

a

b

…ACTINIDE CO-CONVERSION


NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS WORLDWIDE

13FBR361439Total

1317LWGR1126GCR1938PHWR8192BWR236263PWR

Total Capacity (GWe)

Nb of units

Type•LWR are dominant,87% of total capacity

•(# 7000 tons /yr)

•# 70 tons of plutoniumproduced every year

•Most of it in spent fuel,stored in pools or drystorages


WORLD WIDE PROSPECTS (IIASA)

• NUCLEAR EXPECTED GROWTH 2000-2050:a factor 2 to 5 ? ( hundreds of nuclear power plants)

• HIGH URANIUM RESOURCE NEEDS !

• SPENT FUEL AMOUNT by 2050: hundreds of thousands tons ,1% plutonium-loaded


A POSSIBLE SCENARIO ?

205020252005

1?0.50.2Discharged/stored fuel (Mtons)

8500?40001500Plutonium inventory (tons)

1400 1200?

650 550

360 320

Nuclear capacity (GWe) LWR capacity (GWe)

2.5 ?1.20.7Nuclear primary (GTOE)

Reprocessing option to be consideredfor the future development of nuclear power


en résumé…• RECYCLING , THE GENERAL GUIDELINE IN FRANCE

FOR SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR SYSTEMS (2006 french Act)

• MANY OPEN OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE(recycle what, recycle how)

• A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH?(from today’s well-proven technologies)

• A NEED FOR FLEXIBLE PROCESSES (both LWR fuels / FR fuels, evolutive strategies…)

• MANAGEMENT OF SPENT FUELS ARISING WITH « NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE » TO BE CONSIDERED SOON ENOUGH (to avoid important build-up)

Documents

NENE 2008 Conference - Nuclear Society of Slovenia. Boullis – Portoroz, september 8,2008 NENE 2008 Conference NENE 2008 Conference PORTOROZ, September 8-11,2008 FUEL CYCLE OPTIONS