Considerations in Recycling Used Natural Uranium Fuel from CANDU Reactors in Canada

Abstract

This paper identifies the key factors that would affect the recycling of used natural uranium (NU) fuel from CANDU reactors which are in operation in Canada and in several other countries. There has been little analysis of those considerations over the past 25 years and this paper provides a framework for such analysis. In particular, the large energy potential of the plutonium in used CANDU NU fuel provides a driver for consideration of used-fuel recycling. There would be a long lead-time (at least 30 years) and a large investment required for establishing the infrastructure for used-fuel recycling. While this paper does not promote the recycling of used CANDU NU fuel in Canadian CANDU reactors, it does suggest that it is timely to start the analysis and to consider the key factors or circumstances that warrant the recycling of used CANDU NU fuel.