1 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) Copyright © 2009 SCKCEN MYRRHA: ADS Programme in Belgium A Multi-national Demonstration Program for Incineration of Spent Nuclear Fuel Wastes H. Aït Abderrahim, P. Baeten, D. De Bruyn Inst. of Advanced Nuclear Systems, SCKCEN

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 2 Science towards Sustainability

3 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) ?

4 waste minimisation better use of resources reduced proliferation risks

5 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) recycling of spent fuel no recycling of spent fuel Uranium ore Time (years) Radiotoxicity (relative) Treatment of spent nuclear fuel transmutation of spent fuel Duration reduction factor 1.000x Volume reduction factor 100x

6 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) Fission products U 235 n U 238 Pu Plutonium n n n U 235 Np Neptunium Am Americium Cm Curium Actinides Minors Actinides (MA) neutron Uranium Fission Transmutation Nuclear fuel U 238

7 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) Problematic of Minor Actinides (MA) = major part of HLW (High Level Waste) Difficult to dispose of: Long lived (> 1000 years) High radiotoxicity High thermal load Fissile = new fuel Pu Plutonium Np Neptunium Am Americium Cm Curium Actinides Minor Actinides

8 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) Transmutation: a complementary solution transmutation geo-disposal 0,16 % of total weight of spent fuel Np Neptunium Am Americium Cm Curium Minor Actinides Accelerator Driven System

9 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) Benefits of transmutation COMPLEMENTARY SOLUTION does not replace geo-disposal but allows its optimisation for radiotoxicity and heat emission load : volume reduction (factor 100) duration reduction (factor 1.000) Research project

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 10 Reactor subcritical mode ( MWth) critical mode (~100 MWth) Accelerator (600 MeV – 5 mA proton) Fast neutron source Spallation source Lead-Bismuth coolant Multipurpose flexible irradiation facility 10 MYRRHA concept ADS “Accelerator Driven System”

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 11 multirecycling Repository UOX PWR MOX PWR Dedicated transmuter system Pu MA+Pu Pu Losses MA+Pu MA Fuel fabrication Reprocessing Losses From M. Salvatores et al. (GLOBAL 2009) Advanced fuel cycles with Partitioning and Transmutation (P&T) ADS or critical Fast Reactor

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 12 Why sub-criticality? Proton Accelerator Subcritical Neutron Multiplier Spallation Source p n ADS systems are presently studied for nuclear waste transmutation because of the  (delayed neutron fraction which let the reactor control): 235 U 650 pcm 238 U 1480 pcm 238 Pu 120 pcm 239 Pu 210 pcm 240 Pu 270 pcm 241 Pu 490 pcm 242 Pu 573 pcm 237 Np 334 pcm 241 Am 113 pcm 243 Am 208 pcm 242 Cm 33 pcm 244 Cm 100 pcm Therefore if one wants to load large quantities of MAs in the Waste burner it should be a subcritical machine

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 13 The ADS is most efficient at Minor Actinide Transmutation The ADS is most efficient at Minor Actinide Transmutation MA Production Rate (grams / GWh)Pu Production Rate (grams / GWh) Figures from M. Capiello & G. Imel (ANL) (ICRS-10/RPS2004) Efficiency of different reactor types

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 14 MYRRHA nuclear research fields ChallengeSolution MYRRHA contribution Fission High radiotoxic level waste TransmutationADS demo Fission GEN IV Demonstrate concept Build demonstrators LFR technology demo Fast spectrum irradiation facility Fusion Extreme operating conditions Material testing & development Fast spectrum irradiation facility

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 15 Updated project schedule MIRT

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 16 Balanced budget Operational costs 46.6 M€/y Consortium endowment 25.2 M€/y Investment 960 M€ Building 196 M€ Equipment 370 M€ Engineering 202 M€ Contingencies 192 M€ Organisation reinforcement 14.6 M€/y Science & Tech. revenues 17.1 M€/y Services revenues >18.8 M€/y Operational Budget Costs Revenues ~ 2050

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 17 Forging strong partnerships and alliances Alliances Securing revenues from Users’ Communities in-cash in-kind FP7 EII loan Belgium France Germany Italy Spain EU EIB ROW (ROK, JP, USA, … Engineering Building Equipment Owners’ Consortium Group Co-sharing investment cost Co-sharing exploitation cost

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 18 Capital expenditure: st phase (5 y) Belgium 60 M€

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 19 Funding the next phase of work: FEED (Front End Engineering Design) Minimise technological risks Secure the licensing Implement a sound management structure PDP preliminary dismantling plan PSAR preliminary safety assesment EIAR environmental impact assesment Central Project Team Owner Engineering Team Owner Consortium Group 1 2 3

TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) 20 What is left to do? today action plan

21 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) Conclusions Advanced nuclear fuel cycles are required to meet the new objectives of making nuclear fission sustainable The objectives of sustainability can be met with both the use of fast reactors and dedicated burners Demonstrations (prototypes) should be planned and realized Belgium Government has decided to financially support the MYRRHA project

22 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) MYRRHA hosted by SCKCEN (Belgium)

23 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) Conclusion A multi-national approach for the demonstration of innovative technology that will «incinerate» spent nuclear fuels and shorten the waste monitoring period. Science towards Sustainability

24 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) The work is ahead of us as a community As Ovid said: Gutta cavat lapidem non bis, sed saepe cadendo: A drop hollows out the stone by falling not twice, but many times ! congratulations to you all! Very sincerely Carlo

25 TCADS, Technology & Components of Accelerator Driven Systems, March 15-17, 2010, Karlsruhe (DE) Copyright notice Copyright © SCK  CEN All property rights and copyright are reserved. Any communication or reproduction of this document, and any communication or use of its content without explicit authorization is prohibited. Any infringement to this rule is illegal and entitles to claim damages from the infringer, without prejudice to any other right in case of granting a patent or registration in the field of intellectual property. SCKCEN Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie Centre d'Etude de l'Energie Nucléaire Stichting van Openbaar Nut Fondation d'Utilité Publique Foundation of Public Utility Registered Office: Avenue Herrmann-Debrouxlaan 40 – BE-1160 BRUSSEL Operational Office: Boeretang 200 – BE-2400 MOL