Present status and prospect of transmutation technology for high-level radioactive waste

Oigawa, Hiroyuki 

The transmutation technology is to transform minor actinides (MA) in high-level radioactive waste (HLW) to short-lived or stable nuclides by nuclear reactions. It makes it possible to reduce the potential radiological hazard of HLW and the area to dispose of it. The accelerator-driven system (ADS) is recognized as a dedicated tool to transmute MA, and variety of research and development activities for it are under way in the world. The research areas to be covered spread over wide range of scientific and technological fields on an accelerator, a spallation target, materials, nuclear reactor engineering, nuclear fuel. It is, therefore, of great importance to facilitate international collaboration. The Transmutation Experimental Facility of J-PARC is being proposed as one of possible centers of excellence.