Report on Back-end Option for Spent Fuel

Erik Laes, Geert Volckaert, Alain Sneyers, Gaston Meskens

    Research outputpeer-review

    Abstract

    In Belgium the development of nuclear industry started soon after the Second World War. Already in the sixties the decission was taken to develop nuclear electricity production. Nuclear organisations in Belgium(EUROCHEMIC, Belgonuclaire) were also very active in the development of reprocessing and mixed oxide (U/Pu) fuel. At that time the question of back-end options for nuclear fuel was not considered by the government. Those discussions started as the first power plants went into operation. In 1974 the SCK•CEN started already a research project on the geological disposal of nuclear waste originally concentrated on vitrified HLW but later on as the moratorium on reprocessing was continued the research was more and more oriented towards possible disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The present report gives an overview of the evolution of the options concerning the spent fuel back-end. First a general background is given concerning the Belgian nuclear programme and how decisions on investments in nuclear energy production were taken from its start till now. Then a chronology of the main commissions, parliament debates and governmental decisions is given. Finally the nuclear phase-out law and its consequences are discussed.
    Original languageEnglish
    PublisherSCK CEN
    Number of pages19
    Volume1
    Edition0
    StatePublished - Feb 2006

    Publication series

    NameSCK•CEN Reports
    PublisherStudiecentrum voor Kernenergie
    No.ER-9

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