NEA Mandates and Structures


Expert Group on Fuel Recycling Chemistry

Chair(s): Robin J. TAYLOR, United Kingdom
Secretary:  Gabriele GRASSI
(gabriele.grassi@oecd-nea.org)
Member(s):All NEA member countries*
Russia (Suspended*)
*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council.
Full participant(s): European Commission
Under the NEA Statute
Observer(s)(International Organisation): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
By agreement
Date of creation:01 June 2012
End of mandate:05 February 2021

Mandate (Document reference):

  • Approved at the 23rd meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee in June 2012 [NEA/SEN/NSC(2012)3]
  • Approved at the 11th Meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle in February 2013 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2013)2]
  • Extended at the 12th Meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle in February 2014 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2014)2/REV1]
  • Extended at the 27th meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee in June 2016 [NEA/SEN/NSC(2016)2]
  • Modified at the 15th Meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle in February 2017 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2017)2]
  • Mandates of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle (WPFC) and its Expert Groups  [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2018)1]
  • Summary record of the 17th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle held on  February 2019 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2019)1]
  • Mandates of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle (WPFC) and its Expert Groups  [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2019)2]

 

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPFC(2019)2]

Objectives and scope

Under the guidance of the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) and the mandate of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle (WPFC), the Expert Group on Fuel Recycling Chemistry (EGFRC) will focus on the separation processes relevant to recycling technologies for spent nuclear fuel including waste treatment, recycling and reuse of spent fuel components but excluding long-term (dry/wet) spent fuel storage technologies.

The expert group will perform technical assessments of separation processes in applications related to current and future nuclear fuel cycles and recommend collaborative international efforts to further processes development and deployment.

The expert group will provide scientific information to cover technical issues associated with:

  • Separation technologies, including processing issues for different nuclear fuels and fuel cycles comprising , pyrochemical and hybrid-combination scenarios.
  • Assessment of treating and managing residual wastes, emissions and effluents arising from the recycling (including reduction of waste from structural materials).
  • Update information on the developments needed to meet the requirements for implementing long-term sustainable nuclear fuel cycles, including partitioning and transmutation.
  • Evaluation of (1) advanced head-end requirements for separating spent fuel components from new types of reactors, and (2) requirements for quality and forms of separated components that are needed for fabrication of new types of recycle fuels.
  • Promoting necessary capabilities for separations R&D including facilities, modelling and and skills.

Activities

  1. Compile a database of extractants for spent fuel reprocessing.
  2. Review of waste arising from recycling processes
  3. Perform a review on recycle and reuse of components from spent fuels.
  4. Assess communalities of separation technologies and flowsheets proposed internationally and compare roadmaps towards demonstration
  5. Develop cross cutting activities with the fuels community to define requirements for reprocessing and recycling products from fuels.

Relationships with other bodies

The expert group will liaise closely with other NEA expert groups under the guidance and the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) and the WPFC experts groups, such as the Expert Group on Advanced Fuel Cycle Scenarios (EGAFCS), the Expert Group on Innovative Structural Materials (EGISM) and the Expert Group on Innovative Fuels (EGIF) and the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) in order to ensure complementary programmes of work, provide advice and support where required and undertake joint work where appropriate.

The expert group will also work in co-operation with the IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology Section, the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) and with different European Union (EU) initiatives carried out through the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 [essentially the Sustainable Nuclear Energy and Implementation of Geological Disposal Technology Platforms (SNE-TP and IGD-TP)].

Deliverables

The deliverables of the EGFRC will be the following:

  1. Report on treatment of volatile fission products.
  2. Launch Database of actinides extractants for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel.
  3. Journal paper based on the state of the art review.
  4. International review on the recycling and reuse of components from spent fuels.