RADIOACTIVE WASTE INVENTORIES IN THE CASE OF DIFFERENT NUCLEAR OPTIONS FOR THE FRENCH REACTOR FLEET

摘要

Since 2013 the CEA, in partnership with EDF and AREVA, has undertaken a program of scenario studies concerning the future of the French nuclear reactor fleet, with a special focus on meeting the conditions necessary for sustainable management of nuclear matter and waste. The current situation in France, taken as the reference, consists of recycling plutonium in MOX (mixed oxide) fuel form in pressurized water reactors (PWR), as well as reprocessed uranium in ERU fuels (Enriched Reprocessed Uranium). The options considered take into account the deployment of fast reactors (FRs) and differ from each other depending on the proportion of fast reactors permitting the use of plutonium present in MOX fuels which could be in service. Each option studied meets a specific technical objective (assuming an annual nuclear-sourced electricity production identical to that of today): 1. Phase A: this option involves the continuity of the current French electronuclear fuel cycle, with interim storage of ERU and MOX fuels. This strategy means a stabilization of the UOX-type spent fuel inventory, 2. Phase B: this option considers the deployment of a few fast reactors using the plutonium from MOX fuel processing, and enabling the stabilization of the spent MOX fuel inventory, 3. Phase C: this option simulates the deployment of a symbiotic reactor fleet including PWRs and FRs, enabling the multi-recycling of plutonium and the stabilization of its inventory, 4. Phase D: this option studies the deployment of a reactor fleet which no longer makes use of natural uranium. This could mean the existence of a fleet solely made up of FRs (called phase D1), or of a symbiotic fleet with FRs and PWRs, using only MOX fuels (phase D2). Each option can be assessed according to a certain number of technical and economic criteria. The comprehensive study presented here examines the situations for radioactive waste produced by the entire cycle for phases A, B and D1, phases C and D2 will be investigated later. This means considering the waste produced at the front end of the cycle (ore extraction and treatment, conversion, enrichment), through to the fuel fabrication (UOX, MOX, FR), as well as the back end of the fuel cycle (reprocessing of spent fuel). All waste categories have been taken into account: very low level waste, low and intermediate level short-lived waste, intermediate level long-lived (IL-LL) and high level (HL) waste. Based on lessons learned from feedback from past and present French industrial facilities, including the operation of the Phenix and Superphenix reactors, the impact each option would have on the inventory of waste produced was able to be quantified. Thus the decrease in waste produced by the head end steps which would accompany the deployment of fast reactors, because of the reduction or even the disappearance of the need for uranium to supply the reactor fleet, could be quantified. Using the inventory for the waste destined for deep geological disposal (HL and IL-LL waste), the disposal area which would be required will need to be evaluated.