Partitioning and transmutation technology in Japan and its benefit on high-level waste management

Oigawa, Hiroyuki ; Nishihara, Kenji  ; Yokoo, Takeshi*

In Japan, the partitioning and transmutation (PT) technology is being studied and developed to reduce the burden of the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) management. To demonstrate clearly the benefit of the PT technology on the waste management of future nuclear fuel cycles, the repository area necessitated to dispose of the HLW was discussed quantitatively for spent fuels from UO-LWR, MOX-LWR and MOX-FBR. Four options of separation process were assumed in the analysis: (1) Conventional PUREX reprocessing, (2) Transmutation of minor actinide (MA), (3) Partitioning of FP, and (4) PT for both MA and FP. The results showed that MA transmutation would be necessary to keep the emplacement area for MOX fuel at the same level as that for UO fuel. The adoption of PT for both MA and FP was effective to further reduce the repository area independently on the fuel type, the reactor type and the cooling period.