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on 2/16/23 at 11:54 AM
This report provides a comparative analysis of different studies performed to assess the potential impact of partitioning and transmutation (P&T) on different types of geological repositories for radioactive waste in various licensing and regulatory environments. Criteria, metrics and impact measures have been analysed and compared with the goal of providing an objective comparison of the state of the art to help shape decisions on options for future advanced fuel cycles. P&T allows a reduction of the inventory of the emplaced materials which can have a significant impact on the repository. Such a reduction can also make the uncertainty about repository performance less important both during normal evolution and in the case of disruptive scenarios. While P&T will never replace the need for waste repositories, it has the potential to significantly improve public perception regarding the ability to effectively manage radioactive waste by largely reducing the transuranic (TRU) waste masses to be stored and, consequently, to improve public acceptance of the geological repositories. Both issues are important for the future sustainability of nuclear power.
