In a dark country, a ray of light.

[NNadir]

I cannot tell anyone in a brief series of remarks, what an important development this is, surprisingly, in the dismantling of nuclear arsenals for war, and the addressing of the most important crisis before us, climate change.

MOX fuel with minor actinides produced for BN-800 reactor

Subtitle:

The first three fuel assemblies with uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel containing transuranic elements americium-241 and neptunium-237 have been produced by Rosatom's Mining and Chemical Combine.

The fuel has been accepted and is due to be loaded into the BN-800 fast neutron reactor at Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in 2024, with pilot operation "during three micro-campaigns (approximately one-and-a-half years)".

Minor actinides are transuranic elements other than plutonium which are formed in irradiated nuclear fuel. They are highly radioactive and have long half-lives.

Rosatom said that the proposed Russian solution to what are the most hazardous components of nuclear waste is via fast neutron reactors which can be fuelled not only by enriched natural uranium, but also by secondary products of the nuclear fuel cycle, such as depleted uranium and plutonium. "In addition, the research shows that minor actinides from spent nuclear fuel under the flux of fast neutrons will fission into fragments representing a fairly wide range of radioactive and stable isotopes, but in general their potential hazard will be much lower than that of the original minor actinides," the company said.

Alexander Ugryumov, senior vice president for research and development at Rosatom's fuel division, TVEL, said: "Rosatom is step-by-step taking the unique advantages that powerful fast neutron reactors provide to our industry. The introduction of MOX fuel enables the expansion of the resource base for nuclear power multifold involving depleted uranium and plutonium, and also to reprocess irradiated fuel instead of storing it. Afterburning of minor actinides is the next step in closing nuclear fuel cycle, which should not only reduce the amount of nuclear waste for final isolation, but also significantly reduce its radioactivity. In the long term, it could avoid the complicated and expensive deep burial of waste..."

Some years back, on another website, I discussed, in general terms, why this type of fuel is essential to minimize the risks of nuclear war, which, by the way, have never been zero, since uranium exists.

On Plutonium, Nuclear War, and Nuclear Peace

Of course Russia is a pariah state, but in a dark place - any dark place - there are always people who work for good. This is a critical development, (pun unintentional but recognized) and one I have hoped for for a long time.

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Congralutions to these scientists, and to planet Earth. nt

[lastlib]

2. This is interesting!

I don't understand much of it, but enough to realize it's good news. Thanks for posting it.

(There's a good reason they don't let me play with subatomic particles..... )