Management of recyclable fissile and fertile materials

Interest in nuclear energy continues to grow in many countries as a means to ensure security of energy supply and to limit greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector. In this context, recyclable materials constitute an asset for broadening the resource base for nuclear fuel supply, especially in medium- and long-term perspectives. This report provides an overview of recyclable fissile and fertile materials inventories which can be reused as nuclear fuel. It reviews the options available for managing those materials, through recycling and/or disposal. The potential energetic value of recyclable materials is assessed, taking into account the variability of retrievable energy contents of various materials according to technology and strategy choices made by the owners of the materials. The analyses contained in this report will be of particular interest to energy policy makers and to nuclear fuel cycle experts. Also available in this series: Innovation in Nuclear Energy Technology (2007) Forty Years of Uranium Resources, Production and Demand in Perspective: The Red Book Retrospective (2006) Nuclear Power Plant Life Management and Longer-term Operation (2006)