nuclear-news

Countries with established nuclear power programmes have been managing their spent fuel for decades. They have gained extensive experience and have proper infrastructure in place. For these countries, management of spent fuel arising from SMRs shouldn’t pose a challenge if they opt to deploy SMRs based on current technologies, said Christophe Xerri, Director of the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology at the IAEA.

“Since this type of small modular reactor will be using the same fuel as conventional, large nuclear power plants, its spent fuel can be managed in the same way as that of large reactors,” Xerri said…..

Countries that are new to nuclear power should carefully consider spent fuel management and establish a relevant infrastructure as they work on introducing nuclear energy. They will need to do this even if they choose conventional nuclear power plants or SMRs based on current technologies. “They will face more challenges if they opt for first-of-a-kind or less-established technology, as there will be less experience and fewer benchmarks for managing the entire fuel cycle,” Xerri said. “Solutions for managing spent fuel and radioactive waste arising from SMRs will be one of the most important factors to take into account when choosing a technology, along with the security of fuel supply.”

…… https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/small-modular-reactors-a-challenge-for-spent-fuel-management