Experience with plutonium recycling in the Federal Republic of Germany

In the Federal Republic of Germany, there is a commitment to closing the nuclear fuel cycle by reprocessing spent fuel assemblies and recycling the recovered uranium and plutonium. Separated plutonium has and will become available in increasing quantities, far exceeding the demands of the fast breeder programme. By the 1960s investigations and demonstrations of the use of plutonium as fissile material in thermal power reactors had commenced, supported by government funds. This led to the design and manufacture of BWR as well as PWR and PHWR mixed oxide (Mox) fuel assemblies, which were used in various German nuclear power plants. The development of these programmes and the experience gained in the design, engineering and operation of Mox fuel assemblies are described. The economics of plutonium recycling is also briefly examined. (author)