NUREG-1909 Background, Status, and Issues Related to the Regulation of Advanced Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycle Facilities ACNW&M White Paper Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste and Materials NUREG-1909 Background, Status, and Issues Related to the Regulation of Advanced Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycle Facilities ACNW&M White Paper Manuscript Completed: May 2008 Date Published: June 2008 Prepared by A.G. Croff, R.G. Wymer, L.L. Tavlarides, J.H. Flack, H.G. Larson Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste and Materials THIS PAGE WAS LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY ii ABSTRACT In February 2006, the Commission directed the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste and Materials (ACNW&M) to remain abreast of developments in the area of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, and to be ready to provide advice should the need arise. A white paper was prepared in response to that direction and focuses on three major areas: (1) historical approaches to development, design, and operation of spent nuclear fuel recycle facilities, (2) recent advances in spent nuclear fuel recycle technologies, and (3) technical and regulatory issues that will need to be addressed if advanced spent nuclear fuel recycle is to be implemented. This white paper was sent to the Commission by the ACNW&M as an attachment to a letter dated October 11, 2007 (ML072840119). In addition to being useful to the ACNW&M in advising the Commission, the authors believe that the white paper could be useful to a broad audience, including the NRC staff, the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors, and other organizations interested in understanding the nuclear fuel cycle. ****** Paperwork Reduction Act Statement This NUREG does not contain information collection requirements and, therefore, is not subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Public Protection Notification The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a request for information or an information collection requirement unless the requesting document displays a currently valid OMB control number. iii THIS PAGE WAS LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................xv INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................... xv SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL RECYCLE HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY ................................. xvi What is Reprocessed?....................................................................................................... xvi How is SNF Currently Reprocessed? ................................................................................ xvi Where was and Is SNF Reprocessed? .............................................................................xviii What Is the Status of SNF Reprocessing Technology? ....................................................xviii Where Is Fuel Refabricated? ............................................................................................. xix ADVANCED RECYCLE TECHNOLOGY............................................................................... xix Overview of Advanced Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycle Initiatives.......................................... xix Advanced Fuel Reprocessing Technology......................................................................... xix Advanced Fuel Fabrication and Refabrication ................................................................... xxi REGULATION AND LICENSING OF FUEL RECYCLE FACILITIES .................................... xxi ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH LICENSING AND REGULATING FUEL RECYCLE FACILITIES............................................................................................................................xxii Development of Licensing Regulation(s) for Recycle Facilities ........................................xxii Impacts of SNF Recycle on Related Regulations .............................................................xxiv Other Regulatory Issues Arising from SNF Recycle ......................................................... xxv RESEARCH NEEDS........................................................................................................... xxviii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................xxix LIST OF ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................xxxi 1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................1 1.1. Background and Context...................................................................................................1 1.2. Goal and Purposes ...........................................................................................................3 1.3. Scope ................................................................................................................................4 1.4. Information Sources ..........................................................................................................5 2. RECYCLE FACILITY FEEDSTOCK: SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL DESIGNS .......................7 2.1. Overview of generic Fuel Cycles.......................................................................................7 2.1.1. Uranium-Plutonium Fuel Cycle..................................................................................7 2.1.2. Thorium-Uranium Fuel Cycle .....................................................................................7 2.2. Fuel Designs .....................................................................................................................7 2.2.1. Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) .........................................................................7 v 2.2.2. Boiling Water Reactors (BWR)..................................................................................8 2.2.3. Fast Reactors............................................................................................................9 2.2.3.1. Oxide................................................................................................................10 2.2.3.2. Carbide.............................................................................................................10 2.2.3.3. Uranium/Plutonium/Zirconium Metal Alloy .......................................................11 2.2.3.4. Nitride...............................................................................................................11 2.2.4. High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGR)....................................................12 2.2.5. Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) ......................................................................................12 3. OVERVIEW OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL RECYCLE...................................................13 3.1. Reprocessing Experience and Evaluations.....................................................................13 3.1.1. U.S. Defense and Commercial Reprocessing Plants..............................................13 3.1.1.1. Reprocessing for Weapons Plutonium Recovery.............................................13 3.1.1.1.1. Bismuth Phosphate Process .....................................................................13 3.1.1.1.2. Redox Process (Hexone) ..........................................................................14 3.1.1.1.3. PUREX Process........................................................................................15 3.1.1.2. U.S. Commercial Reprocessing Plants ............................................................17 3.1.1.2.1. Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS - West Valley Plant) .....................................17 3.1.1.2.2. GE Morris Plant.........................................................................................17 3.1.1.2.3. Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant.....................................................................17 3.1.2. International Reprocessing Plant Summary............................................................17 3.1.2.1. France ..............................................................................................................20 3.1.2.2. Great Britain .....................................................................................................20 3.1.2.3. Japan ...............................................................................................................21 3.1.2.4. Russia ..............................................................................................................21 3.1.2.5. India .................................................................................................................21 3.1.2.6. China................................................................................................................22 3.1.2.7. South Korea .....................................................................................................22 3.1.3 THORP Reprocessing Plant PUREX Process .........................................................23 3.1.3.1. Spent Nuclear Fuel Shearing and Dissolution..................................................24 3.1.3.2. High Activity (HA) Cycle ...................................................................................24 3.1.3.3. Plutonium Purification