Key Issues
Recycling Used Nuclear Fuel
The federal government plans to develop advanced recycling technologies to take full advantage of the vast amount of energy in the used fuel and reduce the amount and toxicity of byproducts requiring disposal.
Government to Study Recycling
For economic and national security reasons, the United States does not currently recycle used nuclear fuel. After its use once in the reactor, companies remove it for ultimate disposal in a repository. This “once-through” fuel use is called an "open" fuel cycle. The recycling and reuse of nuclear fuel is called a "closed" fuel cycle. This approach would capture the vast amount of energy still remaining in used nuclear fuel.
The federal government plans to evaluate both the open and closed fuel cycles, including the benefits and availability of advanced recycling technologies. The nuclear industry endorses this plan, which could result in long-term environmental and energy security benefits for America.
DOE’s Global Nuclear Energy Partnership
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) in 2006. The plan seeks to enhance global security and efficient use of uranium resources while addressing the proliferation concerns associated with current nuclear fuel recycling technologies.
As part of this initiative, DOE proposes to develop advanced technologies for reprocessing and recycling used nuclear fuel. These would result in separated uranium, but not separated plutonium, a major nonproliferation advantage for reprocessing technologies.
Converting Used Fuel Into New Fuel
Through recycling, the separated uranium would become new fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. The long-lived radioactive elements, including plutonium, become fuel that could only be used in advanced reactors that would be developed commercially as part of the research and development program.Advanced recycling technologies would reduce the volume, heat and toxicity of used nuclear fuel, but not completely eliminate the byproducts. The recycling byproducts would require disposal in a permanent repository at Yucca Mountain.
