NUCLEAR-ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY OF STORAGE AND MANAGEMENT OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL

Today, the situation with spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is still complicated due to the lack of safe technologies for its cost-effective and environmentally friendly reprocessing and safe final disposal. Spent nuclear fuel is not waste in the classical definition and understanding. In this paper, spent nuclear fuel is defined as a valuable secondary energy raw material. The paper concludes that further, socially acceptable and guaranteed safe development of the global nuclear power industry is possible only under the condition of absolute priority of nuclear and environmental safety of the entire nuclear fuel cycle (NFC). In this regard, a new technology of the G5 generation based on frontal neutron-combustion nuclear power reactors is proposed to solve complex environmental problems associated with spent nuclear fuel.