Actinide and Fission Product Partitioning and Transmutation

Tenth Information Exchange Meeting

Mito, Japan
6-10 October 2008

Group photo

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) organised the Tenth Information Exchange Meeting on Actinide and Fission Product Partitioning and Transmutation (P&T) in Mito, Japan on 6-10 October 2008. The meeting was hosted by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA).

Background

Partitioning and transmutation (P&T) is one of the key technologies for reducing the radiotoxicity and volume of radioactive waste produced. Recent developments indicate the need for embedding P&T strategies into advanced fuel cycles considering both waste management and economic issues.

The OECD/NEA has been organising biennial information exchange meetings on actinide and fission product partitioning and transmutation since 1990. The previous meetings were held in Mito (Japan) in 1990, at ANL (United States) in 1992, in Cadarache (France) in 1994, in Mito (Japan) in 1996, in Mol (Belgium) in 1998, in Madrid (Spain) in 2000, in Jeju (Korea) in 2002, in Las Vegas (United States) in 2004 and in Nîmes (France) in 2006.

Scope

The meeting covered scientific, as well as strategic/policy developments in the field of P&T, such as:

  • the role of P&T in advanced nuclear fuel cycles, including their impact on waste management policies;
  • developments in partitioning and the managing the wastes produced;
  • the technology of dedicated accelerator-driven systems as transmutation devices, including developments in accelerators, materials (targets and coolants) and fuels;
  • the performance of advanced reactors, Generation IV and dedicated systems, for such application as transmutation as well as the safety of the latter;
  • R&D needs and results, including benchmarks, data improvements, experiments and the role of international collaboration.

Progress reports from countries and international organisations are presented every two meetings. Between these meetings, a specific subject is discussed. This year, a special session on fuel cycle strategies and transition scenarios was organised on the first day to discuss the different approaches and the tools, technology development, and R&D needed to support the transition from the current thermal to future fast reactors.

Programme

The meeting consisted of a special session on fuel cycle strategies and transition scenarios studies on the first day, followed by technical sessions covering all important scientific and technical aspects of P&T-related activities.

Opening session [Chairs: K. Minato (JAEA, Japan), P. J. D'hondt (SCK•CEN, Belgium)]

Welcome addresses
T. Dujardin (OECD/NEA)
H. Yokomizo (JAEA, Japan)
S. Tanaka (AECJ, Japan)

Overview of NEA activities in actinide and fission product partitioning and transmutation, T. Dujardin (OECD/NEA)
IAEA activities in the area of partitioning and transmutation, A. Stanculescu (IAEA)
EU strategy in partitioning and transmutation and its implementation within the EURATOM framework programmes, V. P. Bhatnagar (EC)

Special session: Fuel cycle strategies and transition scenarios [Chairs: M. Salvatores (CEA, France), K. Ono (JAEA, Japan)]

Invited speech
US activities on fuel cycle transition scenarios, K. McCarthy (INL, United States)
The current status of Japanese nuclear fuel cycle - the outline of Japanese nuclear fuel cycle strategy and transition scenario to FR cycle, S. Kondo (JAEA, Japan)
Overview on the French fuel cycle strategy and transition scenario studies, F. Carre (CEA, France), J-M. Delbecq (EDF, France)

Fuel Cycle Synergies and Regional Scenarios, M. Salvatores (FZK, Germany; CEA, France)
Global scenarios for fast reactor deployment, K. Ono (JAEA, Japan)
Transmutation scenarios of minor actinides in sodium fast reactors in France, L. Boucher (CEA, France)
Transmutation of actinides in CANDU reactors, G. Dyck (AECL, Canada)
Further assessments of the proliferation resistance of materials in advanced nuclear fuel cycles, C. Bathke (LANL, United States)

Session I: Impact of P&T on waste management and geological disposal [Chairs: V. P. Bhatnagar (EC), M. Nutt (ANL, United States)]

Invited speech
Concept of waste management and geological disposal incorporating partitioning and transmutation technology, H. Oigawa (JAEA, Japan)

Summary of RED-Impact results on the Impact of P&T on the high level waste management, E. M. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain)
Estimation of maximum permissible step losses in P&T processing, J. Liljenzin (Chalmers Univ., Sweden)

Session II: Progress in transmutation fuels and targets [Chairs: D. Warin (CEA, France), Y. Arai (JAEA, Japan)]

Invited speech
Advanced fuel fabrication processes for transmutation, J. Somers (ITU, EC)

Development status of transuranic-bearing metal fuels, K. Pasamehmetoglu (INL, United States)
Design, development and qualification of advanced fuels for an industrial accelerator driven system prototype, F. Delage (CEA, France)
Microstructural evolution and Am migration behaviour in Am-containing MOX fuels at initial stage of irradiation, K. Tanaka (JAEA, Japan)
Development of nitride fuel and pyrochemical process for transmutation of minor actinides, Y. Arai (JAEA, Japan)
The RIAR DOVITA-2 P&T program - Results of the 15-year R&D activities, M. Kormilitsyn (RIAR, Russia)
Experimental evaluation of Am and Np bearing mixed oxide fuel property, M. Kato (JAEA, Japan)
Minor actinide recycling in sodium fast reactor: Status in 2008 of PHENIX experimental program, D. Warin (CEA, France)

Session III: Progress in partitioning, waste forms and management [Chairs: C. Hill (CEA, France), T. Inoue (CRIEPI, Japan)]

Invited speech
Future nuclear fuel cycles: Prospect and challenges, D. Warin (CEA, France)

ACSEPT, a new step in the future demonstration of advanced fuel processing, S. Bourg (CEA, France)
Development and demonstration of a new SANEX-process for actinide(III)/lanthanide(III) separation using a mixture of CyMe4BTBP and TODGA as selective extractant, G. Modolo(FZJ, Germany)
Recent progress on R&D of innovative extractants and adsorbents for partitioning of minor actinides at JAEA, T. Kimura (JAEA, Japan)

Invited speech
Fission product partitioning and integrated waste management - Advanced approaches and opportunities, M. Nutt (ANL, United States)

Studies on separation of actinides and lanthanides by extraction chromatography using 2.6-bistriazinyl pyridine, K. N. Sabharwal (IGCAR, India)
Recent development of pyrochemical processing and metal fuel cycle technology in CRIEPI, T. Koyama (CRIEPI, Japan)
Partitioning of fission products and a waste salt minimization during a pyroprocess, E-H. Kim (KAERI, Korea)
Current progress in R&D on MSR fuel cycle technology in the Czech Republic, J. Uhlir, (NRI, Czech. Rep.)
Effects of repository conditions on environmental-impact reduction by recycling, J-H. Ahn (UC Berckley, United States)

Session IV: Progress in materials, including spallation targets and coolants (Chairs: C. Fazio (FZK, Germany), S. Monti (ENEA, Italy))

Invited speech
Progress in materials, including spallation targets and coolants, C. Fazio (FZK, Germany)

Material development in lead bismuth spallation target system, K. Kikuchi (JAEA, Japan)
Corrosion tests of FeCr- and FeCrAl alloys in static and flowing LBE with active oxygen control, I-S. Hwang (Seoul National Univ., Korea)

Session V: Progress in transmutation physics experiments and nuclear data [Chairs: H. Oigawa (JAEA, Japan), E. M. Gonzalez Romero (CIEMAT, Spain)]

Invited speech
Nuclear data for advanced fuel cycles, M. Salvatores (CEA, France; INL, United States)

Cross section measurements of minor actinides at the n_TOF-Ph2 experiment at CERN, D. Cano-Ott (CIEMAT, Spain)
Status of J-PARC transmutation experimental facility, T. Sasa (JAEA, Japan)
Reactivity monitoring of the YALINA subcritical assembly using beam trips and current-to-flux experiments, M. Fernandez-Ordonez (CIEMAT, Spain)

Session VI: Transmutation systems: design, performance and safety, [Chairs: I-S. Hwang (SNU, Korea), K. McCarthy (INL, United States)]

Invited speech
Trends in transmutation performance and safety parameters versus conversion ratio of sodium-cooled recycle reactors, W-S. Yang (ANL, United States)

On the effectiveness of the elsy concept with respect to minor actinides transmutation capabilities, C. Artioli (ENEA, Italy)
Design, safety and fuel developments for the EFIT accelerator driven system with CERCER and CERMET cores, X-N Chen (FZK, Germany)
Design study of minor actinide bearing oxide fuel core for homogeneous TRU recycling fast reactor system, S. Ohki (JAEA, Japan)
Core performances and safety implications of TRU burning medium to large fast reactor core concepts, J. Jang (KAERI, Korea)
Study of minor actinides transmutation in sodium fast reactor depleted uranium radial blanket, F. Varaine (CEA, France), D. Verrier (AREVA/NP, France)

Closing session: (Chair: K. Minato (JAEA, Japan))

Questionnaire
Special session
Session I
Session II
Session III
Session IV
Session V
Session IV
Summary

A poster session was organised on 8 October 2008 covering all the technical subjects.

Proceedings

Proceedings on 10IEMPT.

Scientific advisory committee


Pierre J. D'hondt (SCK•CEN, Belgium)

Eung-Ho Kim (KAERI, Korea)

Jan Uhlir (NRI, Czech Republic) Enrique Miguel González (CIEMAT, Spain)
Massimo Salvatores (CEA/INL, France) Christian Ekberg (Chalmers University, Sweden)

Dominique Warin (CEA, France)

Jean-Marc Cavedon (PSI, Switzerland)

Concetta Fazio (FZK, Germany)

Colin H. Zimmerman (Nexia-Solution, UK)

Stefano Monti (ENEA, Italy)

Kathryn McCarthy (INL, United States)

Tadashi Inoue (CRIEPI, Japan)

Eric Pitcher (LANL, United States)

Kazuo Minato (JAEA, Japan)

Monica Regalbuto (ANL, United States)

Hiroyuki Oigawa (JAEA, Japan)

Ved Bhatnagar (EC)

Kiyoshi Ono (JAEA, Japan)

Alexander Stanculescu (IAEA)


Technical visits

Technical tours of the following JAEA facilities were organised on the morning of 10 October.

O-arai site JOYO tour

The experimental fast reactor JOYO is the first sodium-cooled fast reactor in Japan and attained initial criticality as a breeder core on 24 April 1977. The tour consisted of a visit to the control room and other rooms in the containment vessel. More information is available at: www.jaea.go.jp/04/o-arai/joyo/indexes.htm.

Tokai site J-PARC tour

The J-PARC is one of the biggest experimental facilities for not only neutron science, but also high energy physics, basic science and nuclear transmutation. The construction was started in 2002 and various test operations are now under way. Because of the scheduled proton-beam tests, access to the radiation restriction area is prohibited. The tour consisted of a visit to the central control room and observation of other buildings from the bus. More information is available at: http://j-parc.jp/index-e.html.

All correspondence with regard to the meeting should be addressed to the meeting organisers:

Chair

Dr. Kazuo Minato
Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Tokai-mura, Ibaraki-ken
319-1195
Japan
E-mail: minato.kazuo@jaea.go.jp

Secretary

Dr. Yong-Joon Choi
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
Le Seine Saint-Germain
12 boulevard des Îles
92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux,
France
E-mail: yongjoon.choi@oecd.org

Previous Information Exchange Meetings

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Last reviewed: 8 October 2010