THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE

THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle consists of
sequence of steps in which U ore is
mined, milled, enriched, and
fabricated into nuclear fuel and then
irradiated in a reactor for several
years.
The fuel cycle lifetime from mining to
discharge is about 8 years.
NEI Video on U Mining
 The Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Fuel 25 tons
fabrication UO2 fuel
220 tons Reactor
depleted UF6 32 tons
enriched UF6
1000 MW reactor
for 1 year
Enrichment and (~7 billion kWh)
isotope separation

200 tons 25 tons

uranium oxide natural UF6
Convert 25 tons
to UF6 spent fuel
Interim storage
Concentrate Reprocessing (cooling pond)
Plant
25 tons spent
45 - 50,000 tons
uranium ore
fuel
750 kg high-level
waste Final disposal
 Fuel Cycle Economics

Transaction Cost:mills/kwhr(e)
– Ore 1.00
– Conversion 0.15
– Enrichment 1.10
– Fabrication 1.60
– Disposal 1.00
– Misc 0.25
Total 5.10
 Long Lived Radioactive Isotopes in
Discharged Nuclear Fuel

•Fission Products
• Over 60 isotopes
• 7 isotopes have significant gamma decay during first
20 years that can be useful to identify the source:
Zr95, Nb95, Ru103, Cs134, Cs137, Ce141, Ce144

•Actinides
• Over 20 isotopes
• The gamma rays generated by Actinides have lower
energy
Inventory of Nuclear Fuel
United States
 103 nuclear power plants

 22% of electrical power

World
 438 nuclear power plants (33 under

construction)
 17% of electrical power

 30 countries use nuclear power

 16 countries produce more than 25% of

electrical power using nuclear energy

US Nuclear Power Plants
 WIPP
One of New Mexico’s major
contributions to the nuclear
industry in recent years has been
the opening and operation of
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
(WIPP).
Transuranic Waste Repository
at Carlsbad, New Mexico
 Uranium Enrichment
Recently, a uranium enrichment facility was
opened near Eunice, New Mexico.

This facility, established by Louisiana Energy

Systems, brought many jobs and a new
economic boon to that area.

The Eunice Enrichment Facility is considered

to be the “first of its kind in North America.”
URENCO is a nuclear business that
has the main purpose of enriching
uranium to provide nuclear fuel for
commercial nuclear power plants.

URENCO and LES have the goal of

creating a sustainable and carbon-free
energy future.
Debra N. Thrall, PhD
Executive Director

Wk - 505-883-3114
dthrall@unm.edu