ML24040A183
| ML24040A183 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/12/2024 |
| From: | Victoria Huckabay Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24040A183 (1) | |
Text
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission RIC 2024 Hybrid 36thAnnual Regulatory Information Conference
ADAPTING TO A CHANGING LANDSCAPE MARCH 12-14, 2024 Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center Rockville, Maryland
- nrcric2024 www.nrc.gov RIC 2024 Hybrid MARCH 12-14, 2024
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission #nrcric2024 36thAnnual Regulatory Information Conference www.nrc.gov
Spent Fuel Reprocessing:
Past, Present, and Future
Disclaimer: This presentation does not present the views of the NRC
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Agenda
- Reprocessing and New Fuels
- History and Background in the United States
- Cu rrent Pre-Application Engagements
- Current Regulatory Framework and Path Forward
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Reprocessing and New Fuels
- Spent fuel reprocessing (or used fuel recycling) is defined as the chemical separation of fissionable uranium and plutonium from irradiated nuclear fuel
- The goal of reprocessing is to reduce the toxicity and volume of wa ste
- The output product can be used to fabricate new fuel, thus closing the reactor fuel cycle
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History and Background
- Nuclear Fuel Ser vices West Valley reprocessing plant in New York
- General Electric Morris reprocessing facility in Illinois
- Allied-General Nuclear Services Barnwell reprocessing plant in South Carolina
- The 1977 ban of commercial reprocessing was lifted in 1981; current national policy does not prohibit reprocessing
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History and Background (cont d)
- Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) launched in 2006:
o Establish domestic reprocessing and burner reactor capability o Take back spent fuel from foreign countries
- GNEP funding reduced by Congress in 2007- 2008
- GNEP efforts in the United States ended in 2009, but the U.S. Department of Energy moved forward with reprocessing research and development activities
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History and Background (cont d)
- During 2008- 2021, the NRC staff submitted several SECY papers which evaluated the regulatory framework for licensing a reprocessing facility, including:
o S EC Y-09plans to develop the technical basis for a proposed rule- 0082 Summarized the staff s regulatory gap analysis and staff s
o S EC Y-13moving forward with development of a reprocessing-specific rule - 0093 Recommended finalizing the draft regulatory basis and (10 CFR Part 7x) o S EC Y-21rulemaking- 0026 Requested Commissions approval to discontinue the
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P re -Application Engagements with Oklo, Inc.
- Oklo plans to design, license, build, and operate a recycling facility for production of uranium/transuranic- bearing fuel o Licensing Project Plan submitted in December 2022
- Oklo will use an electrorefining-based separation technology
- The NRC held three public meetings with Oklo in 2023
- Additional pre- application engagements on technical and licensing topics are anticipated in 2024
ADAPTING TO A CHANGING LANDSCAPE RIC 2024 Hybrid MARCH 12-14, 2024
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P re -Application Engagements with SHINE Technologies, LLC
- Regulatory Engagement Plan submitted in October 2023
- SHINE plans to construct and operate a used nuclear fuel recycling pilot facility, with a throughput of up to 200 MTiHM /year
- Targeting used fuel that is more than 40 years old
- Co- decontamination (CoDCon) separation process a modified version of the plutonium uranium reduction extraction (PUREX) liquid- liquid separation process o Increased proliferation resistance: plutonium is never separated from uranium
ADAPTING TO A CHANGING LANDSCAPE RIC 2024 Hybrid MARCH 12-14, 2024
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Current Regulatory Framework and Path Forward
- 10 CFR Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities
- Other applicable regulations include, but are not limited to:
o 10 CFR Part 20 o 10 CFR Part 51 o 10 CFR Part 72 o 10 CFR Part 73 o 10 CFR Part 74
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Current Regulatory Framework and Path Forward (cont d)
- Guidance is available primarily in Division 3 Regulatory Guides (RGs) o Most RGs applicable to reprocessing facilities have not been updated since the early 1970s
- There is no standard review plan for review of reprocessing facility applications
- RG 3.26, Standard Format and Content of Safety Analysis Reports for Fuel Reprocessing Plants, has not been revised since 1975
ADAPTING TO A CHANGING LANDSCAPE RIC 2024 Hybrid MARCH 12-14, 2024
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Current Regulatory Framework and Path Forward (cont d)
- The NRC staff has been evaluating options for updating the regulatory framework for reprocessing facilities:
o Evaluation of needed updates to reprocessing RGs and the order of priority for those updates is ongoing o Development of an annotated outline for a standard review plan for reprocessing facilities is in progress; the staff plans to solicit public feedback and hold a public meeting o The NRC staff has not been directed to resume the rulemaking
ADAPTING TO A CHANGING LANDSCAPE RIC 2024 Hybrid MARCH 12-14, 2024
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Questions?
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