Felicity Bradstock
Felicity Bradstock is a freelance writer specialising in Energy and Finance. She has a Master’s in International Development from the University of Birmingham, UK.
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By Felicity Bradstock – Sep 08, 2024, 12:00 PM CDT
- New methods like recycling in fast neutron reactors and geological disposal in facilities like Finland’s Onkalo are being explored.
- Reprocessing spent fuel in closed fuel cycles can significantly reduce waste volumes.
- Geological repositories like Onkalo offer hope for safe, long-term nuclear waste disposal.
As we go into a new nuclear energy era, there are renewed concerns about what to do with the waste generated from nuclear plants. Nuclear waste is toxic and can remain radioactive for around 10,000 years, meaning that it needs to be disposed of appropriately to ensure people and the environment are kept safe. Despite the challenges involved, several countries around the globe are pursuing new nuclear power agendas in support of a green transition and coming up with innovative ways to dispose of the radioactive waste produced at nuclear facilities.
The generation of nuclear energy results in the production of waste products. There are three types of nuclear waste: low-, intermediate-, and high-level radioactive waste. Most of the waste produced at nuclear plants consists of lightly contaminated items, such as tools and work clothing, with a level of around 1 percent radioactivity. High-level waste is made up of spent fuel, which accounts for around 3 percent of the total volume of waste from nuclear energy production, although it contains 95 percent of the radioactivity.
The nuclear industry is responsible for safely disposing of waste materials through the construction of disposal facilities. One of the positive things about nuclear power production is that it generates very little waste compared to other energy sources. Nuclear fuel is very energy-dense, meaning little is required to generate large quantities of electricity. Therefore, it produces little waste, around 5 grams of high-level waste for the provision of a person’s annual energy needs. A conventional 1,000 MW nuclear plant, which can supply over one million people with electricity, produces around three cubic meters of vitrified high-level waste per year, which is far lower than that produced in coal plants.
Nuclear energy companies must store spent fuel in either wet or dry facilities to be either recycled or disposed of. Spent fuel that comes out of the reactor is hot and radioactive, and storing it in water allows it to cool and the radioactivity levels to diminish. Several countries, including the U.S., treat this used fuel as waste. However, many countries recycle their spent fuel, including France, Japan, Germany, Belgium and Russia. Around 97 percent of spent fuel can be reused in certain types of nuclear reactors.
High-level nuclear waste can be used in fast neutron reactors operating in a closed fuel cycle.