New research has confirmed the groundbreaking capability of Moltex Energy Canada's Stable Salt Reactor - Wasteburner (SSR-W) to consume used nuclear fuel, marking a significant milestone in their mission to reduce nuclear waste whilst generating clean energy.
The peer-reviewed study demonstrates that the SSR-W, developed through international collaboration across New Brunswick, Ontario, the UK, and the USA, can effectively consume the majority of transuranic (TRU) elements found in spent fuel bundles from Canada's Candu reactors. These elements, by-products of the fission process, typically remain radioactive for millennia. However, the SSR-W's innovative design transforms these elements into fuel, offering a novel solution to nuclear waste reduction.
Through detailed modelling, researchers established that repeated fuel recycling achieves an equilibrium state where all actinides' concentration diminishes during reactor burnup, enabling indefinite actinide consumption. This process, combined with fission product separation during recycling, dramatically reduces waste volume, radiotoxicity, and heat generation. The system's flexibility is enhanced by its recycling capabilities, online refuelling, and adaptable fuel salt chemistry.
The findings reveal that a 1200 MW thermal power SSR-W fast spectrum molten salt reactor eliminates an impressive 425 kg of actinides yearly—approximately 25 metric tonnes throughout its operational life. The fuel salt composition reaches a steady state where the required TRU top-up from freshly recycled Candu fuel matches the amount transmuted. This equilibrium is reflected in the discharged fuel's isotopic vector, showing significantly reduced plutonium-239 compared to used Candu fuel.
Remarkably, the end-of-life core load can be recycled as start-of-life fuel for a new SSR-W, achieving a fully closed nuclear fuel cycle.
Moltex CEO Rory O'Sullivan explains:
The SSR-W was specifically engineered to efficiently reuse and consume recycled nuclear waste. This breakthrough research, the result of years of collaboration, clearly demonstrates that ability.
He emphasises the practical implications: "Our fuel source is already sitting in stockpiles at nuclear sites around the country. This means we can tap into these resources to produce clean power for years to come."
Moltex's innovative approach encompasses three distinct technologies: the SSR-W reactor, the WAste To Stable Salt (WATSS) recycling process, and GridReserve thermal energy storage tanks - enabling the SSR-W to function as a peaking plant.
The company's roadmap includes deploying the initial WATSS unit at New Brunswick's Point Lepreau site, followed by the first SSR-W in the early 2030s. This timeline aligns with the expected retirement of NB Power's existing Candu reactor at Point Lepreau around 2040.
Source: www.world-nuclear-news.org "Moltex reactor can consume used fuel, research confirms"
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/moltex-reactor-can-consume-used-fuel-research-confirms
