Why didn't you mention the difference in storage time versus unreprocessed spent fuel? A reduction from 250,000 years to 300 seems like it would be important.
I think the French TV broadcast which referred to the tails sent to Russia ("Déchets, Le Cauchemar de Nucléaire") did a pretty sloppy job (either intentionally or out of ignorance) describing things and using the word "waste" without really describing what the material was. The realty is that 96% of the material in used nuclear fuel is reused. Some of the material can be used in today's reactors, and the rest is stored for use in future reactors. Is that "waste?"
As the video states, in a used fuel assembly only about 4% of the material (the fission products) have no real additional value and can be called "waste." The remaining 96% of the material is uranium (95%) and Pu (1%). In the uraniuum, only about 1% is a type called U235 which is what is the really useful fuel material in a nuclear reactor. In order for the uranium to be useful as fuel, the concentration of U235 must be raised to about 4% through a process called "enrichment"
(continued from above) The material you refer to was sent from France to Russia to be enriched, because France does not currently have the capability enrichment uranium coming from used nuclear fuel (although it will soon have that capability). The enrichment process produces 2 outputs: A "product" stream with a U235 concentration of about 4% and a "tails" stream with a U235 concentration of about 0.25%. The product stream was sent back to France and used to make new nuclear fuel.
(continued from above) The tails stream apparently remained in Russia. It is important to remember that uranium found in nature only contains about 0.7% U235, so that each 1 kg of uranium that is reused as described above eliminates the need to mine 1 kg of natural uranium. In that sense the material is absolutely recycled. Whether one calls the remaining tails "waste" or not depends on one's perspective. The "tails" are simply uranium (99%+ U238, ~0.25% U235, and some other odd isotopes).
(continued from above) Since the tails have a very low concentration of the useful U235 isotope, they can't really be used anymore to create fuel for the current generation of nuclear reactors. However, they certainly could be used in future generations of reactors which can make more effective use of the U238 isotope. From that perspective, the tails are not waste at all, but are a highly valuable future source of energy, and are being kept in storage as fuel for these future reactors.
Why didn't you mention the difference in storage time versus unreprocessed spent fuel? A reduction from 250,000 years to 300 seems like it would be important.
Fordi 1 year ago 2
What are the names of soundtracks used in this film? Anyone knows?
IEAPOLATOM 2 years ago
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I think the French TV broadcast which referred to the tails sent to Russia ("Déchets, Le Cauchemar de Nucléaire") did a pretty sloppy job (either intentionally or out of ignorance) describing things and using the word "waste" without really describing what the material was. The realty is that 96% of the material in used nuclear fuel is reused. Some of the material can be used in today's reactors, and the rest is stored for use in future reactors. Is that "waste?"
mvmcmahon 2 years ago 3
Comment removed
mvmcmahon 2 years ago
96% your mother!
why do they send the waste to the 9000km far "tomsk7" in russia for part recycling and endstorage.
where only 10% is realy recycled!
and another 80% of high active waste is staying there on a giant openair depot?
watch it on google earth:
+56° 37' 13.65", +84° 51' 23.11"
its kinda antagonism!
can anyone explain to me?
SmellaInTheArea 2 years ago
As the video states, in a used fuel assembly only about 4% of the material (the fission products) have no real additional value and can be called "waste." The remaining 96% of the material is uranium (95%) and Pu (1%). In the uraniuum, only about 1% is a type called U235 which is what is the really useful fuel material in a nuclear reactor. In order for the uranium to be useful as fuel, the concentration of U235 must be raised to about 4% through a process called "enrichment"
mvmcmahon 2 years ago
(continued from above) The material you refer to was sent from France to Russia to be enriched, because France does not currently have the capability enrichment uranium coming from used nuclear fuel (although it will soon have that capability). The enrichment process produces 2 outputs: A "product" stream with a U235 concentration of about 4% and a "tails" stream with a U235 concentration of about 0.25%. The product stream was sent back to France and used to make new nuclear fuel.
mvmcmahon 2 years ago
(continued from above) The tails stream apparently remained in Russia. It is important to remember that uranium found in nature only contains about 0.7% U235, so that each 1 kg of uranium that is reused as described above eliminates the need to mine 1 kg of natural uranium. In that sense the material is absolutely recycled. Whether one calls the remaining tails "waste" or not depends on one's perspective. The "tails" are simply uranium (99%+ U238, ~0.25% U235, and some other odd isotopes).
mvmcmahon 2 years ago
(continued from above) Since the tails have a very low concentration of the useful U235 isotope, they can't really be used anymore to create fuel for the current generation of nuclear reactors. However, they certainly could be used in future generations of reactors which can make more effective use of the U238 isotope. From that perspective, the tails are not waste at all, but are a highly valuable future source of energy, and are being kept in storage as fuel for these future reactors.
mvmcmahon 2 years ago
How much money gave you areva?
areva2liar 2 years ago