Current status on fuel cycle system of Fast reactor Cycle Technology Development (FaCT) project in Japan

Funasaka, Hideyuki; Nakamura, Hirofumi ; Namekawa, Takashi

On the FaCT project in Japan, six development issues for the advanced aqueous reprocessing system are identified. Crystallization is the one of the major technologies to recover a large amount of uranium from the dissolver solution. The residual solution is loaded to the extraction process for U, Pu and Np co-recovery. Raffinate solution from the extraction process contains FP and MA, where MA is extracted by chromatography. These processes are expected to be more efficient in costs, wastes management, and the plutonium proliferation. As for the fuel fabrication technology, six development issues are identified. The source powder preparation technology of the conversion and granulation process is the most essential for the simplified pelletizing method technology. Remote operation and remote maintenance technique is essential to handle the low decontaminated TRU fuel in a hot cell. Current development status and plan of this integrated system until around 2015 is reported.