Existing stockpiles of SUNF contain 270 years of electricity demand in the US
By
Ronald Stein
|
February 6th, 2025
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, around 96% of currently operating nuclear reactors, which is roughly equivalent to 440 reactors, are water-cooled. The nuclear waste from these water-cooled reactors, i.e., the slightly used nuclear fuel (SUNF), still has 97% of its electricity potential yet to be realized for the “fast breeder reactor” design.
A “fast reactor” is a type of nuclear reactor that uses fast neutrons to sustain a chain reaction, while a “breeder reactor” is a specific design of fast reactor that produces more fissile fuel (like plutonium) than it consumes, meaning it “breeds” new fuel.
Once commissioned, India will only be the second country after Russia to have commercially operating Fast Breeder Reactors.
We all like to make use of our trash, which, if possible, is generally called “recycling.” When we discuss using our nuclear fuel after it has been through a reactor one time, there are two terms commonly used: “reprocessing” and “recycling.” When we reuse aluminum cans, we simply melt them down and form them into new sheets of aluminum, which I call “recycling.” When we try to use old cars that are trashed, we go through a process to remove gasoline, plastic, tires, rubber, wires, and anything else that is not steel before the remains of the car can be used, which I call “reprocessing.” Recycling is a direct process to reuse something, but reprocessing requires more steps to remove impurities.
https://www.cfact.org/2025/02/06/existing-stockpiles-of-sunf-contain-270-years-of-electricity-demand-in-the-us/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=existing-stockpiles-of-sunf-contain-270-years-of-electricity-demand-in-the-us&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=existing-stockpiles-of-sunf-contain-270-years-of-electricity-demand-in-the-us
