Scope

Under the guidance of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Advanced Fuel Cycles (WPFC), the Expert Group on Fuel Recycling and Waste Technology (EGFRW) focuses on the separation processes relevant to recycling technologies for spent nuclear fuel including reprocessing, waste treatment, recycling and reuse of spent fuel components but excluding long-term (dry/wet) spent fuel storage technologies.

Objectives

The EGFRW performs technical assessments of separation processes in applications related to current and future nuclear fuel cycles and recommends collaborative international efforts to further process development and deployment.

The expert group provides scientific information to cover technical issues associated with:

• Separation technologies, including processing issues for different nuclear fuels and fuel cycles comprising aqueous, pyrochemical and hybrid-combination scenarios.
• Assessment of treating and managing residual wastes, emissions and effluents arising from the recycling processes (including reduction of waste from structural materials).
• Updating information on the developments needed to meet the requirements for implementing long-term sustainable nuclear fuel cycles, including partitioning and transmutation.
• Evaluation of (1) advanced head-end requirements for separating spent fuel components from new types of reactors, and (2) requirements for quality and forms of separated components that are needed for the fabrication of new types of recycled fuels.
• Promotion of necessary R&D capabilities for separation, including facilities and modelling and simulation skills.