Proposed Guiding Principles for Recycling/Reprocessing Used Fuel in Canada

Abstract

The commercial nuclear power industry in Canada currently utilizes a once through fuel cycle strategy of the natural uranium dioxide fuel in CANDU reactors. This fuel cycle is well known, safe, cost effective, and the end of cycle disposal pathway is by the waste owners funded and managed through the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s establishment of a Deep Geological Repository. Reprocessing of used nuclear fuel to extract the fission products and reuse the fissile and fissionable transuranic isotopes to produce energy in a commercial power reactor, is not currently performed in Canada.This paper outlines the potential benefits to recycling/reprocessing of used nuclear fuel in Canada and proposes guiding principles that would need to be followed. The paper also discusses how the existing regulatory framework in Canada would ensure these guiding principles would be adhered to.