FUEL & FUEL CYCLE | NOVEL REACTOR FUELS
Right: Novel fuel developed by Lightbridge is attracting growing interest.
Novel fuels set for growth
At the heart of every nuclear reactor is its fuel, but with a new generation of reactors on the way, new kinds of fuels are also emerging to power the clean energy transition.
THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR NUCLEAR FUEL is steadily developing as the recent energy crisis and climate change concerns are allowing nuclear generation to experience something of a renaissance. According to IAEA forecasts, by 2050 the global nuclear power plant fleet will more than double its current capacity: from almost 380 GW now to 873 GW. However, the Agency notes that the increase will be largely achieved through nuclear technologies that are now just being developed and tested, including those which involve the use of novel fuels. Today, about 30 companies from two dozen countries
produce nuclear fuel for land-based reactors. The total volume of nuclear fuel production capacity is not so large – about 20,000 tonnes per year. The three largest producers – French company Framatome, US-based Westinghouse and Russia’s TVEL – supply approximately half of this total production volume. In recent years many of these producers have accelerated their activities in the field of development of novel fuels. At the same time, the current diversity of technical reactor concepts implies an equal diversity of fuel types. As part of these developments, particular attention is being paid to new accident tolerant fuels (ATF). The development of ATF has become a priority for fuel designers over the last decade, notably in response to an analysis of the causes of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant which included the zirconium- steam reaction that takes place at temperatures above 1200 °C. There are currently two key pathways to develop ATF technology: to reduce the amount of zirconium in the
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fuel assembly or to modify the chemical composition of the fuel so that the heat transfer rates of the fuel increases. While it cannot be said that the use of novel fuels will
prevent all possible accidents the development of ATF is designed to provide more response time in the event of a rare emergency, as well as to obtain technological and economic advantages during normal operations of the nuclear reactor. The creation of novel fuel is currently being carried out by all the largest manufacturers as well as other significant players in Europe, the Americas and Asia.
Changing cladding and composition At present the main ATF efforts of developers are aimed at creating new materials for both cladding and fuel composition. One of the more promising possible solutions is the development of cladding coatings that include chromium in one form or another. Chromium coatings on zirconium alloys provide increased corrosion and wear resistance, as well as reduced hydrogen permeability, which helps maintain the ductility of zirconium alloys. Another option that requires further study, but is potentially interesting for the production of cladding, is composite materials based on silicon carbide. A universally preferred coating technology has not yet been identified; various manufacturers use different options that they find most suitable. According to Fedor Vysikailo, a professor at the Department of Theoretical Physics at Moscow State University, complex application methods have a high technological, but low economic efficiency.
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