Spent nuclear fuel - Wikipedia
Spent nuclear fuel, occasionally called used nuclear fuel, is nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor (usually at a nuclear power plant). It is no longer useful in sustaining a nuclear reaction in an ordinary thermal reactor and, depending on its point along the nuclear fuel cycle , it will have different isotopic ...
5 Fast Facts about Spent Nuclear Fuel | Department of Energy
Oct 3, 2022 · Spent fuel refers to the nuclear fuel that has been used in a reactor. The fuel used in today’s commercial reactors is made up of small ceramic pellets of low-enriched uranium oxide. The fuel pellets are stacked vertically and encased in a metallic cladding to form a fuel rod.
Used Nuclear Fuel - Nuclear Energy Institute
In the future, it may be more cost effective to produce new fuel with used nuclear feedstock than by beginning with natural uranium—lowering electricity bills, spurring economic growth, and improving energy equity. Recycling should help improve U.S. energy security
Used Fuel - Nuclear Energy Institute
What Is Used Fuel? Used fuel is much different from what you might think. When most people talk about nuclear waste, they’re referring to fuel that’s been used in a reactor once. Most of the radioactivity associated with nuclear power remains contained in the fuel in …
Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel | NRC.gov
May 16, 2023 · Spent nuclear fuel refers to uranium-bearing fuel elements that have been used at commercial nuclear reactors and that are no longer producing enough energy to sustain a nuclear reaction.
What is Spent Nuclear Fuel? | NRC.gov
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Science 101: What is Spent Nuclear Fuel? You know how a nuclear power plant uses nuclear fuel and chain reactions to produce electricity. So what happens to that fuel when it's removed from a reactor?
Processing of Used Nuclear Fuel - World Nuclear Association
Aug 23, 2024 · A key, nearly unique, characteristic of nuclear energy is that used fuel may be reprocessed to recover fissile and fertile materials in order to provide fresh fuel for existing and future nuclear power plants.
Nuclear Energy - Department of Energy
5 days ago · DOE is committed to working with its partners and allies to develop robust domestic nuclear fuel supply chains to ensure there is enough low-enriched uranium and high-assay low-enriched uranium available to meet the future needs of U.S. nuclear power plants.
U.S. Department of Energy Releases $10 Million to Support …
Dec 20, 2024 · Recycling used nuclear fuel could increase resource utilization by 95 percent, reduce waste by up to 90 percent, and drastically reduce the amount of uranium needed to operate nuclear reactors.
Recycling Gives New Purpose to Spent Nuclear Fuel - PNNL
May 14, 2021 · Spent nuclear fuel from power plants still has 95% of its potential to produce electricity. Current plans are to dispose of the spent nuclear fuel in a geologic repository. So, why is it not recycled? It turns out that separating usable versus unusable parts …