Recycling and Clearance of Fusion Waste: (SEAL SUBTASK 10.1)

SEAL (Safety and Environmental Assessments - Long-term), is a part of the European Fusion Technology Programme. It continues SEAFP (Safety and Environmental Assessment of Fusion Power) [4] where various designs of fusion power reactors have been analysed. Two of them, SEAFP Model 1 and 2 (SMI, SM2) are the object of this SEAL study aimed at defining a suitable management strategy for fusion activated waste. In SMI the breeder consists of Li20 and V-5Ti is the structural material of the in-vessel components. The SM2 configuration has a water cooled Pb-17Li blanket and the reduced activation ferritic steel LA12TaLC as structural material of the in-vessel components. The out of vessel components are the same in both models. The proposed waste management strategy envisages an interim storage of 50 years at the reactor site, then depending on the residual radioactivity, three options are possible: • Disposal as radioactive waste. • Recycling, i.e. reuse of the material in the nuclear industry. Both Remote Handling Recycling and Hands on Recycling are envisaged. • Clearance, i.e. the release of the materials from the regulatory control.