AECL

AECL provides update on NRU activities

The following information bulletin is in accordance with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) ongoing commitment to voluntary public disclosure of events related to the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL).
AECL reports that ninety-eight per cent of the NRU weld repairs are now complete.
During the most recent round of non-destructive examination (NDE) a single imperfection in the final repair was identified. A thorough assessment of the area in question has been completed and steps are underway to make the necessary finishing repair and complete the follow-up NDE.
Activities related to the start-up phase of the NRU Return-to-Service project are ongoing in parallel to repair activities. Part of the Return-to-Service project’s plan includes reactivating the NRUs auxiliary operating systems. To date, 21 of the 35 NRU systems have been placed in service.
Guidance on the duration of the shutdown continues to be founded on the best evidence available, including the most up-to-date analysis of inspection data, progress on repair strategies.

Interview

Christophe Behar
We are preparing now a review of these design options and the decision has to be made in 2012, by the public authorities. ASTRID basic and detailed design will be launched afterwards if a green light is given, and we expect this important step to last five years, elaborates Mr. Behar.
FR spent fuel treatment and plutonium recycling will be based on current technologies (hydrometallurgy and melox base process). An evolution R&D is necessary but we already know that these technologies are basically suitable for fast reactor cycle. So the current recycling industrial experience is really a bridge between GII/GIII and GIV systems. This is possible since France consider only MOX fuel, or possibly carbide fuel in the future and both are suitable with Purex/Coex process.
The first and main goal of recycling is the multirecycling of plutonium, which is only possible in fast reactors and the coming R&D is to consolidate this objective.
We do also carry out R&D for minor actinides separation and transmutation in order to develop clean GIV cycle.

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