CANDU

06.11.08 China agrees to Canadian fuel recycle strategy

Thursday, 06 November 2008 16:00

As the two Candu 6 reactor units at the Qinshan site reach their fifth anniversary of reliable operation, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) has entered a strategic agreement with the Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Company, China North Nuclear Fuel Corporation and the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC). The four partners will jointly develop technology for recycling used nuclear fuel from other Chinese reactors (PWRs) for direct use in the Qinshan 3 and 4 Candu units. This follows a deal earlier this year between AECL and NPIC to conduct research in this area.

The Candu reactors run on natural uranium, not enriched, and in theory could possibly run on used fuel from conventional reactors, where the enrichment level has burned down to little more than 1% U-235 (leaving a lot of problematical fission products and actinides). This concept is DUPIC - direct use of PWR used fuel in Candu - and has been researched for some years in Canada and South Korea. If this PWR-Candu synergy can be achieved it will reduce a country's fresh fuel requirements. The R&D program will also examine the use of thorium in Candu units.

Source: WNN