Annihilation of transuranic elements

In order to make nuclear power generation into stable energy source, the establishment of nuclear fuel cycle is indispensable. As one of its subjects, there is the annihilation treatment of long half-life nuclides contained in high level waste, of which the research and development as the innovative technology for nuclear energy have been advanced. If the long half-life nuclides are separated from high level waste liquid, and can be burnt in nuclear reactors to change them to short half-life nuclides, the treatment and disposal of high level waste become easy, and it can contribute to obtaining the social consensus on the development of nuclear energy. The wet process separation of TRU and its annihilation in reactors, the annihilation of TRU by the collision with high energy protons, the reduction of secondary waste accompanying the separation and annihilation and so on have been researched. The dry process separation technology being developed by Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry and the annihilation treatment technology using metallic fuel FBRs also being developed by CRIEPI are explained. (K.I.)