Concerns surrounding nuclear waste have been a longstanding issue within the energy industry, especially with the increasing number of nuclear power plants and the advancement of nuclear energy technology. Traditional methods of handling nuclear waste involve long-term storage and complex recycling processes, both of which come with high costs and require strict monitoring. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on exploring new approaches to managing spent nuclear fuel.
Moltex Energy Canada Inc. has recently unveiled a new technology known as Waste To Stable Salt (WATSS), which offers an innovative way to tackle nuclear waste processing. This technology focuses on extracting transuranic elements from spent fuel, which can then be utilized in next-generation reactors. Developers claim that WATSS can recover up to 90% of transuranic elements within 24 hours, with even greater efficiency over longer processing periods.
The WATSS process involves several key stages. Initially, the spent fuel undergoes chemical treatment to prepare it for separation. Transuranic elements are then extracted by dissolving them in molten salt, leaving uranium in a solid state. The resulting materials are then purified of fission products and transformed into fuel salts tailored for specific reactor types. This method not only reduces radioactive waste volume but also repurposes the extracted elements as fuel.
As the global nuclear energy sector continues to expand, along with the rise of small modular reactors (SMRs), there is a pressing need for effective spent fuel disposal methods. Technologies like WATSS are being considered as potential alternatives to conventional disposal approaches. However, an important aspect to consider is the safety of these new processing methods. While developers highlight the robustness of WATSS against nuclear material dispersion and its compatibility with existing infrastructure, further assessments are necessary to evaluate its practical implementation, regulatory compliance, and economic viability.