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In a time of heightened environmental concerns and resource scarcity, the closure of the fuel cycle – which reduces the radioactive waste disposal footprint and the need for natural resources – reinforces a sustainable nuclear energy strategy. This involves reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels and the extraction of elements that can be (re)used.

While the EU has the highest share of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing worldwide, most of the spent uranium oxide fuels are declared waste. Multi-recycling in light-water reactors (LWRs) is a tangible solution, but it presents some limitations related to the degradation of the plutonium (Pu) isotopic composition and the generation of minor actinides (MAs).

Cl MSR : a promising technology to achieve closure of the fuel cycle

Significant improvement in converting Pu isotopes and MA into fission products with shorter half-lives can be achieved with the introduction of advanced fast reactor systems, among which the molten salt reactor using Chloride salt (Cl MSRs) is a particularly promising option. In this type of reactor, the fuel is dissolved in the salt circulating through the core, with such liquid form of fuel eliminating the major technological bottleneck of refabrication of solid fuels with high content of transuranics.