NEA Mandates and Structures
Expert Group on Fuel Recycling and Waste Technology (EGFRW)
| Chair(s): |
Robin J. TAYLOR, United Kingdom
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Secretary: |
Gabriele GRASSI
(gabriele.grassi@oecd-nea.org)
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| Member(s): | All NEA member countries* |
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| Russia (Suspended*) |
| *Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council. |
| Full participant(s): |
European Commission
Under the NEA Statute
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| Observer(s)(International Organisation): |
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
By agreement
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| Date of creation: | 01 June 2012 |
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| End of mandate: | 31 March 2024 |
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Mandate (Document reference):
- Approved at the 23rd meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee in June 2012 [NEA/SEN/NSC(2012)3]
- Approved at the 11th Meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle in February 2013 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2013)2]
- Extended at the 12th Meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle in February 2014 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2014)2/REV1]
- Extended at the 27th meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee in June 2016 [NEA/SEN/NSC(2016)2]
- Modified at the 15th Meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle in February 2017 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2017)2]
- Mandates of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle (WPFC) and its Expert Groups [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2018)1]
- Summary record of the 17th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle held on February 2019 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2019)1]
- Mandates of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle (WPFC) and its Expert Groups [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2019)2]
- Summary record of the 18th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle held on 5-6 October 2020 [NEA/NSC/WPFC/DOC(2020)35]
- Revised Mandate of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Advanced Fuel Cycles (WPFC) for approval under the written procedure [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2020)3]
- Mandate of the WPFC Expert Group on Fuel Recycling and Waste Technology (EGFRW) [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2021)3]
Mandate (Document extract):
Extract from document [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2021)3]
Background
As a result of the prioritisation effort, a reform of the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) activities was performed under the guidance of the NSC Bureau. This has resulted in the change of denomination and scope of the Working Party and the Expert Group to, respectively, the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Advanced Fuel Cycles (WPFC) and the Expert Group on Fuel Recycling and Waste Technology (EGFRW).
Scope
Under the guidance of the NSC and the mandate of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Advanced Fuel Cycles (WPFC), the Expert Group on Fuel Recycling and Waste Technology (EGFRW) will focus 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 expert group will perform technical assessments of separation processes in applications related to current and future nuclear fuel cycles and recommend collaborative international efforts to further processes development and deployment.
The expert group will provide 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).
- Update 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 fabrication of new types of recycle fuels.
- Promoting necessary capabilities for separations R&D including facilities, modelling and simulation and skills.
Additionally, the EGFRW will:
- Maintain and continue developing the international database of extractants (IDEaL);
- Review of wastes arising from recycling processes;
- Perform a review on recycle and reuse of components from spent fuels;
- Assess communalities of separation technologies and flowsheets for both aqueous and pyroprocessing proposed internationally and compare roadmaps towards demonstration;
- List and compare existing simulation codes capabilities.
Interactions
The expert group will liaise closely with other NEA expert groups under the guidance of the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) and the WPFC expert groups, such as the Expert Group on Advanced Fuel Cycle Scenarios (EGAFCS), the Expert Group on Innovative Structural Materials (EGISM) and the Expert Group on Innovative Fuel Elements (EGIFE) and the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) in order to ensure complementary programmes of work, provide advice and support where required and undertake joint work where appropriate.
The expert group will also work in co-operation with the IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section, the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) and with different European Union (EU) initiatives carried out through the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation [essentially the Sustainable Nuclear Energy and Implementation of Geological Disposal Technology Platforms (SNE-TP and IGD-TP)].
Deliverables
The deliverables of the EGFRW will be the following:
- Report on treatment of volatile fission products;
- International review on the recycling and reuse of components from spent fuels;
- Database of actinide extractants for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel (IDEaL);
- Benchmark on simulation codes.
