Laurentis Energy Partners: Clean Energy Initiatives in Nuclear Byproducts

Abstract

The Clean Energy Materials Sorting and Recycling (CMSR) Research Initiative is a joint venture between Laurentis Energy Partners (LEP) and McMaster University, with a focus on research and development towards Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) generated low-level radiological waste (LLW) minimization strategies. Research projects, led by McMaster University, include large-scale source term characterization and radiation detection optimization, as well as machine learning and automation studies. This research is expected to produce a dataset that can be used to enhance the current LLW characterization methodology. Lessons learned and operational experience (OPEX) through thirty-one months of CMSR laboratory operations has generated significant process developments, large-scale data collection, and has identified considerable volume reduction opportunities through LLW segregation alone. Data collected for individual LLW bags include contamination levels, contact and working distance dose rates, tritium concentration, weight, activity, and material description. As of June 2023, there have been 100,000 LLW bags segregated into washable, incinerable, double plastic, compactable, metal, and non-processible waste streams (listed in order of decreasing volume reduction potential). LLW segregation has identified that, on average, 63% of the initial material volume can be eliminated through currently available processing techniques. The data collected through CMSR operations has also identified opportunities to segregate non-contaminated material from LLW. LEP has developed the Material Release Initiative that will follow a phased approach – with Phase 1 investigating surface contaminated material and Phases 2 and 3 researching volumetrically contaminated material. Incorporating material release into the current CMSR sorting and segregation processes is expected to further enhance LLW minimization efforts, contributing towards legacy, current, and future LLW volumes provincially.