PHENIX : A Reprocessing and Multiple Recycling Experiment, Unique in the World

The fast reactors can produce more plutonium than they use. After reprocessing ,fresh fuel sub-assemblies can be made, from a part of the recovered plutonium, supplemented by natural or depleted uranium. This means all the uranium can be burned and thus increase a lot the world's available energy reserves. Phénix has reprocessed 520 assemblies, in three different facilities, i.e. slightly more than 26 metric tons of fuel. 4.4 metric tons of plutonium have been extracted in this way. The breeding rate has been confirmed and measured at 1.16. Then 3.3 metric tons of plutonium were used to manufacture fresh fuel sub-assemblies for Phénix which have been burned in the reactor. This paper presents the entire experiment that is unique in the world, and which demonstrates that the fuel cycle of fast reactors is an industrial reality. (author)