International Conference on Management of
Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors
31 May — 4 June 2010
International Atomic Energy Agency
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Deng guoqing
China nuclear power engineering co. ltd (CNPE)
CNNC
2010.06.03
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 the current reprocessing situation and challenges in the world
Nuclear energy development strategy and situation
Reprocessing policy and current situation
The reprocessing and recycling technology development strategy
R&D of spent fuel processing technology
Challenges conclusion
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the current reprocessing situation and challenges in the world
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The selection of a strategy for spent fuel management is a complex decision factors to be taken into account including: politics, economics, resource conservation, environmental protection, and public perception
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the current reprocessing situation and challenges in the world three options for management of spent fuel the one-through cycle
( the direct disposal of the spent fuel in the geologic repository) the closed cycle
(the reprocessing of the spent fuel, recycling of the reprocessed plutonium and uranium, and disposal of the wastes from the reprocessing operations) the so-called “ wait and see ”
( first storing the fuel and deciding at a later stage on reprocessing or disposal)
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the current reprocessing situation and challenges in the world
The major reasons for choosing the option of reprocessing
 Separation of valuable material for reuse in the reactor
 Appropriate conditioning of waste
 further decrease waste volume and radio-toxicity
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Fuels assemblies
Receiving
Interim storage
Réception
Entreposage
Reprocessing operations
(Shearing - dissolution - separation - purification)
U
Pu
Hulls and end-fittings
Coques et Embouts
Waste from facility operations Résidus vitrifiés
(CSD/V)
Recyclable materials
Uranium
Plutonium
Final waste
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the current reprocessing situation and challenges in the world
The reprocessing activities and the closed fuel cycle policy have been implemented at present:
China, France, India, Japan, Russia, and UK policy
U.S.A. also intends to restore the closed cycle
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the current reprocessing situation and challenges in the world
Since the opening of the first Purex plant at
Savannah Rover in 1954, the Purex process has been utilized in a variety of flow-sheets and is still being used in all commercial reprocessing plants
Reprocessing using the Purex process has become a mature technology with considerable experience gained from the operation of civil reprocessing plants
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China
France
India
Japan
Russia
UK the current and planed reprocessing capacities in the world country site plant Operation time
Total capacity
Jiuquan RPP LWR
CRP LWR
La Hague
La Hague
Trombay
Tarapur
Kalpakkam
Kalpakkam
Tarapur
Tokai-mura
UP2-800 LWR
UP3 LWR
PP Research
PREFRE1 PHWR
PREFRE2 PHWR
PREFRE3A PHWR
PREFRE3B PHWR
PNC TRP LWR
R Rokkasho-mura RRP LWR
Chelyabinsk RT1 WWER-440
Krasnoyarsk RT2 WWER-1000
Sallafield
Sallafield
B205 GCR
Thorp LWR/AGR
2020
1994
1990
1964
1974
1998
2005
2005
1977
2010
1971
1967
1994
Capacity (tHM/y) present future
60
800
800
800
60
100
100
150
150
90
800
400
800
800
60
100
100
150
150
90
800
400
1500
1500
900
5850
900
6710
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the current reprocessing situation and challenges in the world
The near and medium term challenges for reprocessing :
 to achieve economic competitiveness through the reduction of the volume and radio-toxicity of the waste destined for ultimate disposal
 the adaptation of current technologies and plants to meet even more stringent national or international regulation
 to accommodate fuel performance increases, such as higher fuel burn-ups
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the current reprocessing situation and challenges in the world
The challenges of technical innovations with a number of technical objective, including:
 more efficient utilization of fissile and fertile materials
 enhanced proliferation resistance
 greater reliance on passive safety features
 technology advances to mitigate the volume and radiotoxicity of high level and long lived wastes
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the current reprocessing situation and challenges in the world
In the near term: the technologically mature aqueous processing methods constitute the main path forward, while dry processes are considered as adjunct or backup processes
In the longer term: fuel cycle applications related to advanced reactor concepts( fast reactors, gas cooled reactors, molten salt reactors, etc) may favor the use of pyrochemical processes
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Nuclear energy strategy and situation the strategic development plan for nuclear energy : thermal reactor (TR)--fast breed reactor (FBR) -- fusion reactor (FR) nuclear power medium- long term development program:
40 GWe in 2020(4%)
18 GWe in 2020(under construction ) program will be modified With the requirements of global climate change protocol and of economic development in china
11 units of 6 NPPs in operation and 24 units of 10 NPPs under construction or be approved at present
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Name of NPP
Qin shan
( phase1)
Unit 1
Dayawan Unit 1
Qinshan
(Phase 2)
Unit 2
Unit 1
Lingao
Qinshan
(Phase 3)
Tianwan
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Unit 2
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 1
Unit 2
11 the NPP in operation
Reactor type
PWR
PWR(CPY)
Installed capacity (MWe)
300
2×984
PWR(CNP650)
PWR(CPY)
PHWR(CANDU)
PWR(WWER)
2×650
2×990
2×700
2×1060
9068
Operation date
1994/04/01
1994/02/01
1994/05/06
2002/04/15
2004/05/03
2002/05/28
2003/01/08
2002/12/31
2003/07/24
2006/05/12
2007/05/14
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Name of NPP
Lingao
( phase2)
Qinshan 2
(extention)
Hongyanhe
(liaoling)
Ningde
(Fujian)
Fuqing
(Fujian)
Fangjiashan
(Zhejiang)
Sanmen
(Zhejiang)
Yangjiang
(Guangdong)
Haiyang
(Shandong)
Taishan
(Guangdong)
10
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3/4
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3/4
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 1
Unit 2
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Reactor type
PWR(CPR1000)
PWR(CNP650)
PWR(CPR1000)
PWR(CPR1000)
PWR(M310)
PWR(M310)
PWR(AP1000)
PWR(CPR1000)
PWR(AP1000)
PWR(EPR)
Installed capacity (MWe)
2×1080
2×650
4×1080
4×1080 the NPP under constructi on or approved
2×1000
2×1000
2×1250
2×1080
2×1250
2×1750
25400
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the NPP distribution
NP in operation
NP under construction
NP in planning
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Nuclear energy strategy and situation
The FBR development strategy :
 the experimental FBR operation in 2010
 demonstration FBR construction finished in ~
2025
 commercial FBR construction finished in ~
2035
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reprocessing policy and situation
China adopt the closed fuel cycle policy
 to meet the requirements of the healthy and sustainable development of nuclear power
 to master the reprocessing technology
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reprocessing policy and situation
The total accumulated spent fuel up to now
1300 tHM
The projected accumulated spent fuel for 40GWe program
~7500 tHM in 2020
~13000tHM in 2025
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reprocessing policy and situation
A reprocessing pilot plant (RPP):
 400kg/d for head and end head
 300 kg/d for the chemical separation part
 the hot test in the early this year
 The pool storage capacity 550 tHM, and will be extended to 1300 tHM
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reprocessing policy and situation the first large-scale commercial reprocessing plant :
 in progress
 The reprocessing capacity: 800 tHM/y
 the storage capacity: 3000+3000 tHM
 The projected hot test operation: ~2025
Desire to international cooperation to built the plant the more detailed information is shown in the paper
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reprocessing technology development strategy
China has determined the development strategy of technical options for reprocessing and recycling option one
 the proven advanced PUREX process: to recover uranium and plutonium
 MA and FP entering HLLW : vitrified into solid waste
 Uranium and plutonium: reused in the thermal reactor
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reprocessing technology development strategy option two
 the proven advanced PUREX process: to recover the uranium, plutonium and neptunium
 the HLLW partitioning process: to separate TRU elements, LLFP and the short term heat-generating isotopes such as Cs-137 and Sr-90 , then burn in FR or
ADS or disposal
 Plutonium is reused in the thermal reactor first or then in the FBR
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reprocessing technology development strategy option three the integrated process:
 recovery uranium, plutonium and neptunium
 separation of actinide elements and LLFP
 separation of actinides from lanthanides element
 Plutonium is reused in the fast reactor
 MA and LLPF are burn/transmuted in FBR or ADS
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reprocessing technology development strategy
The first large scale spent fuel reprocessing plant:
1) the proven PUREX process
2) vitrification for HLLW
3) Uranium and Plutonium co-precipitation for nonproliferation purpose;
The next reprocessing plant will choose the second or the third option depending on technology development in china
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R&D
R& D program to master and enhance the reprocessing technology including :
 process
 plant engineering
 key process equipment and material
 process measurement and control
 criticality, radiation, chemical, fire and explosion hazards control and prevention
In order to ensure the reprocessing plant operation safe, reliable, and economic
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R&D example of R& D program :
 triakylphosphine oxides(TRPO) process to remove TRU elements from HLLW
 CES (crown ether and calixrene crown ether) process for removal of Sr-90 and Cs-137 from HLLW
 a hot test in pilot scale with genuine HLLW from
MPR
 the R&D for HLLW from the NNP spent fuel reprocessing is being carried out
 Experiment of Cyanex 301 process for An/Ln separation have been done
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R&D example of R& D program :
 The advanced Purex process: a salt-free two-cycle
Purex process using DMHAN(n,n-dimethyl hydroxylamine) as the reductant for Pu with
MMH(methyl hydrazine) as the stabilizer, using AHA
(acetohydroxamic acid)complex for uranium purification
 Study on the advanced integrated process for processing and separation is going on
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Challenges
Besides technical challenges faced by the world
China has faced the other unique challenges:
 several kinds of reactor types, such as VVER, M310,
CPR, AP1000, and EPR make spent fuel treatment difficulties, especially for spent fuel handling and shearing
 Due to the complex of the reprocessing technology,
There is a long way to go to fully master the reprocessing technology including design, construction, commissioning and operation of the large scale reprocessing plant
 the dry storage of spent fuel except the Candu reactor is not yet considered, But It is necessary to master the technology and build the dry storage facility to facilitate the choice of the storage type
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conclusion
 Reprocessing using the Purex process has become a mature technology with considerable experience
 Challenges for reprocessing are to achieve economic competitiveness, the adaptation of current technologies and plants to meet even more stringent national or international regulations and, to accommodate fuel performance increases
 China has a ambitious and fast development nuclear power program
 The nuclear fuel cycle must be suitable for the nuclear energy sustainable development
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Inclusion
 The Purex process will continue to be dominant in the near term, but the technical requirements to be dealt with will increase in severity with the advent of higher burn-up and Mox fuels.
 In the longer term, with the implementation of advanced reactors and fuel cycle systems, such as partitioning and transmutation, novel reprocessing technology with total actinide recycle may have to be implemented
 China has a desire of international cooperation to build the first commercial reprocessing plant with the proven technology based on Purex process
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