Fuel Cycle Technologies Event Furthers Dialogue Around a Sustainable Fuel Cycle, Recognizes Researchers

Ensuring reliable sources of energy to power our economy, light our homes, and maintain our standard of living – free from carbon emissions – is one of the great challenges facing the United States. For the foreseeable future, nuclear energy is the only economic, large-scale, reliable method that generates electricity that is essentially carbon-free, ensuring that it will continue to be an important part of any energy future. However, questions remain regarding the best way to maximize the value of this energy source.

In the near term, challenges exist related to managing used nuclear fuel from the current fleet of reactors. In the longer term, challenges related to the availability of fuel resources, as well as to waste management, will need to be addressed.

Success in meeting these challenges in ways that maintain an affordable cost of electricity is essential for the United States is to ensure its future energy security, economic security and environmental security.

In pursuit of solutions to these challenges, subject matter experts within the Office of Nuclear Energy’s Fuel Cycle Technologies program recently met at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. At the meeting, officials reviewed significant program accomplishments in fiscal year 2011 and discussed program goals for the next three years. The meeting also focused on how to further integrate the front and back end of the fuel cycle in order to form a comprehensive approach to developing a sustainable fuel cycle.

The gathering drew nearly 150 participants from the Office of Nuclear Energy, other federal programs, national laboratories, universities and industry. It also provided an opportunity for young researchers and university-affiliated researchers to present their work in this field. In keeping with NE’s commitment to nurture the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists, winners of the 2011 Fuel Cycle R&D Student Innovators competition were presented with a Student Innovator award at the event.

A report, titled “Transactions Report of the 2011 Fuel Cycle technologies Annual Review Meeting,” which provides summaries of all the papers and technical posters presented, details program activities and accomplishments for 2011, and outlines future plans, is available here.