Comparison of environmentalimpact of waste disposal fromfusion, fission and coal-firedpower plants

摘要

In context to the Directive Com(2010)618 on the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste proposed by the European Commission, in order to find concepts which are acceptable to the public, it is important to concentrate research at the nuclear power sector on options with low ra-diotoxic impact concerning disposal of waste. In this aspect, fusion power has advantages against fission power as no long-lived radioactive nuclear reaction products are produced. However, activation at structural materials of the reactor takes place. As the environmental impact of radioactive waste can decide public acceptance of fusion power, it is important to clarify this impact to the public as well as to governments and to achieve a broad consensus in time.