Part 1 of 2 Parts
     The supports of nuclear power generation say that advanced nuclear reactors should play a major role in meeting the goal of one hundred percent clean energy by 2050. They say that nuclear power can compliment other energy sources such as wind and solar in providing clean energy to supply electricity, industrial heat, hydrogen, and other important energy products. (Some critics point out that while nuclear power generation may be low in carbon emissions, it is not zero.) Deploying advanced nuclear energy as part of the solution to climate change will also require managing spent nuclear fuel waste produced during the operation of commercial nuclear power plants.
     The total amount of nuclear waste from advanced nuclear energy will be very small related to the total amount of energy produced. Safe nuclear waste management is essential to protect public and environmental health. It will be necessary to build public trust and social acceptance of advanced nuclear technology as a climate change solution. Increasing interest in innovative advanced nuclear technology as a solution for climate change has also renewed interest in developing innovate nuclear fuel waste solutions. Such methods include reducing waste volumes, reducing radiotoxicity and enabling more effective disposal.
     In order to discuss innovative nuclear waste solutions, an understanding of spent nuclear fuel waste is necessary. Nuclear waste is categorized based on where it came from and its level of radioactivity.  The two main types are high-level waste (HLW) and low-level waste (LLW). HLW consists of spent nuclear fuel and its byproducts. For this type of waste, long-term separation of the used nuclear fuel and byproducts from society in deep geological disposal repositories is required. LLW consists of all the other wastes that are contaminated with radioactive materials such as workers garments or components that filter out radioactive materials from reactors systems. LLW is much less radioactive that HLW and is already being safely disposed of in surface-level disposal facilities.
     Innovative design and policy solutions currently under development could help advance nuclear power reactors produce less of both HLW and LLW. New pathways need to be created to dispose of existing and future HLW. Developing new methods to reduce the total volume of HLW from nuclear power generation would reduce the required size for deep geological disposal repositories. Deployment of certain advanced reactors designs (such as neutron spectrum reactors) could enable more efficient nuclear fuel utilization. This would enable more power production from each nuclear fuel assembly and reduce the total amount of HLW produced.
     Alternative technologies could be applied to recycling or reprocessing HLW by enabling separation of highly radioactive fission products from usable uranium in spent nuclear fuel. These fission produces normally represent less than five percent of the spent fuel. Once separated, they could then be stored as HLW leaving the rest of the spent fuel available for recycling into new nuclear fuel. These technologies would enable greater utilization of uranium resources and reduce the volume of HLW for long-term disposal.
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