Role of accelerator-driven system in partitioning and transmutation in future nuclear fuel cycle

JAEA has been conducting the research and development (R and D) on accelerator-driven subcritical system (ADS) as a dedicated system for the transmutation of long-lived radioactive nuclides. The ADS proposed by JAEA is a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) cooled, tank-type subcritical reactor with the thermal power of 800 MWth driven by a 30 MW superconducting LINAC. The R and D activities in JAEA are divided into three technical areas peculiar to the ADS : (1) superconducting linear accelerator, (2) LBE as spallation target and core coolant, and (3) subcritical core design and technology. In addition, the Transmutation Experimental Facility (TEF) is planned to be built as Phase-II of the J-PARC project. (author)