Nuclear fuel recycling could cut US waste storage from 100,000 years to hundreds

[Marlin]

Nuclear fuel recycling could cut US waste storage from 100,000 years to hundreds

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nuclear-fuel-recycling-cut-us-waste-storage

[Core Content]

300GW US nuclear push taps recycling to cut 100,000-year waste storage

Argonne National Laboratory is developing fuel recycling technologies, including pyroprocessing, to support the United States goal of adding 300 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2050. These methods aim to reduce the demand for newly mined uranium and shorten radioactive waste storage requirements from hundreds of thousands of years to hundreds. Collaborations with private companies are moving these processes closer to commercial use.

Fuel recycling could help support a 300 GW US nuclear expansion while reducing waste and demand for mined uranium.

The US aims to add 300 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity by 2050 and develop a nuclear fuel recycling strategy that could slash radioactive waste storage from thousands of years to just hundreds. The country currently operates 94 light-water reactors, which supply roughly 20 percent of its electricity and around 100 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity. Meeting its 2050 target would significantly expand the nation's existing nuclear fleet.

Read the full article at Interesting Engineering:
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nuclear-fuel-recycling-cut-us-waste-storage