The ERINDA project for research related to the transmutation of radiactive waste

The strongest argument against a long-lasting commitment to nuclear power as energy supply is the difficult permanent disposal of the long lived radioactive waste produced in nuclear reactors. Significant efforts are thus being made worldwide directed towards the minimisation, management, and disposal of highly radioactive nuclear waste. The EU-FP7 ERINDA project aims for a coordination of European efforts to exploit up-to-date neutron beam technology for novel research on advanced concepts for nuclear fission reactors and the transmutation of radioactive waste. Research to the aim of finding techniques optimized for a strong reduction of nuclear waste can already now be performed at nuclear facilities existing within ERINDA and the main objective is to provide adequate transnational access to these infrastructures. Support of the experimental work is expected from the funding of scientific workshops and visits as well as from PhD thesis work. As an example a correlated study of selected isotopes by photon absorption and radiative capture has yielded interesting insight into the ambiguities of statistical model calculations which may be used to predict transmutation rates.