Analysis of Transition Nuclear Fuel Cycles from LWRs to Gen-IV Reactors

The present activity provides a contribution to the analysis of advanced fuel cycles with special attention to resources, waste inventory and infrastructures needs. The activity has been developed to get an overview about the challenges, implications, boundary conditions, assumptions and correlated consequences of different scenarios suggested or envisaged for the deployment of nuclear energy (mainly for electricity production) on a global or regional basis. In this context, the implications of the LWRs use (in terms of resources, fuel cycle facilities, waste production, etc.) and the possible transition to FRs, in terms of Pu availability, enlargement of reprocessing capacities, etc., are key points of the analysis. A reference scenario has been studied in detail and used as "unit of measure" for extrapolation to more complex scenarios (e.g. European scenarios). The "once-through" strategy, where only LWRs are deployed has been compared with respect to advanced fuel cycle based on P&T. Several FR concepts (lead and sodium cooled) have been compared in terms of fuel cycle performances.