Nuclear Fuel Cycle Requirements And Supply Considerations Through The Long Term

The so-called nuclear renaissance has increased worldwide interest in nuclear power. This potential growth also has increased, in some quarters, concern that nonproliferation considerations are not being given sufficient attention. In particular, since introduction of many new power reactors will lead to requiring increased uranium enrichment services to provide the reactor fuel, the proliferation risk of adding enrichment facilities in countries that do not have them now led to proposals to provide the needed fuel without requiring indigenous enrichment facilities. Similar concerns exist for reprocessing facilities. Internationalization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle summarizes key issues and analyses of the topic, offers some criteria for evaluating options, and makes findings and recommendations to help the United States, the Russian Federation, and the international community reduce proliferation and other risks, as nuclear power is used more widely. This book is intended for all those who are concerned about the need for assuring fuel for new reactors and at the same time limiting the spread of nuclear weapons. This audience includes the United States and Russia, other nations that currently supply nuclear material and technology, many other countries contemplating starting or growing nuclear power programs, and the international organizations that support the safe, secure functioning of the international nuclear fuel cycle, most prominently the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Center for Strategic and International Studies joined to launch the New Approaches to the Fuel Cycle project. This project sought to build consensus on common goals, address practical challenges, and engage a spectrum of actors that influence policymaking regarding the nuclear fuel cycle. The project also tackled one of the toughest issues—spent nuclear fuel and high level waste—to see if solutions there might offer incentives to states on the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle and address the inherent inertia and concerns about additional burdens and restrictions that have stalled past efforts to improve the robustness of the nonproliferation regime. This report presents the group’s conclusions that a best-practices approach to the nuclear fuel cycle can achieve these objectives and offer a path to a more secure and sustainable nuclear landscape.

Contents: (1) Introduction; (2) Renewed Interest in Nuclear Power Expansion: (a) Worldwide Nuclear Power Status; (b) Nuclear Fuel Services Market: Yellowcake; Conversion; Enrichment; Fuel Fabrication; (c) Final Stages of the Fuel Cycle; (d) Waste Disposal and Energy Security; (3) Proposals on the Fuel Cycle: Pres. Bush¿s '04 Proposal; Discussions in the Nuclear Suppliers Group; El Baradei Proposal; IAEA Experts Group/INFCIRC/640; Putin Initiative; Six Country Concept; IAEA Fuel Bank; Congress. Support; World Nuclear Assoc.; IAEA Standby Arrange. System; Multilateral Enrichment Sanctuary Project; Enrichment Bonds; Global Nuclear Energy Partnership; (4) Comparison of Proposals; (5) Prospects for Implementing Fuel Assurance Mechanisms.

Global energy demands are driving a potential expansion in the use of nuclear energy worldwide. It is estimated that the global nuclear power capacity could double by 2030. This could result in dissemination of sensitive nuclear technologies that present obvious risks of proliferation. Certain international institutional mechanisms for controlling access to sensitive materials, facilities and technologies are needed for dealing with this problem. Over the past few years, 12 proposals have been put forward by states, nuclear industry and international organizations, aimed at checking the spread of uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing technologies. This book presents an overview and analysis of these proposals, including an evaluation of the projected international mechanisms.

Advances in Energy Systems and Technology: Volume 3 present articles that provides a critical review of specific topics within the general field of energy. It discusses the energy conservation in transportation. It addresses all modes of transportation in its discussion. Some of the topics covered in the book are the role of natural gas in domestic energy supplies, the tight gas formation, Devonian gas resources, and the theory of gas flow in porous media, a review of gas production mechanism, and the estimates of economically recoverable gas. The analysis of the methane from coal seams is covered. The technology and economics of geopressured energy production is discussed. The text describes the geopressured aquifers. The Mexican gas imports are presented. A chapter is devoted to the production of synthetic gas. Another section focuses on the conversion of methane from coalbeds and the effect of gas porosity. The book can provide useful information to scientists, engineers, students, and researchers.