Fast reactor fuel reprocessing for Europe

In 1984 the United Kingdom, Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, France and Italy agreed to develop, jointly, fast reactor power stations and the associated fuel cycle. Work was undertaken to design, construct and operate a single, intermediate-size reprocessing plant to be built at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority site at Dounreay in Scotland. The plant requires equipment in three categories: equipment subject to wear, tear and radiation damage; equipment which is highly reliable when operated at modest temperatures and equipment which is subject to high temperatures in an acid environment such as the dissolver and evaporator. The basic wastes must be kept to a minimum. The European Demonstration Reprocessing Plant (EDRP) has been designed to reprocess fuel from Superphenix and the three proposed commercial demonstration fast reactors to be constructed in Europe. The main process stages within EDRP are illustrated and the key features described and discussed. (U.K.)