Fuel Supply and Synthesis / Fabrication Needs, Issues, and Options for a Generic 300-MWe-class Molten Stable Salt Small Modular Reactor (MSR-SSR-SMR) in Canada

Abstract The molten stable salt small modular reactor (MSR-SSR-SMR) is a molten chloride salt fast-spectrum reactor. Moltex Energy Canada is developing the SSR-W-300, a 300-MWe-class MSR-SSR-SMR. The objective of this study is to assess manufacturing needs for fuel for a generic 300-MWe-class MSR-SSR-SMR. This assessment will identify the technology development and infrastructure required to achieve industry-scale fuel manufacturing, and associated fuel reprocessing and recycling. Moltex is developing its WAste To Stable Salt (WATSS) process to extract actinides from pressure tube heavy water reactor (PT-HWR) slightly used nuclear fuel (SUNF), with anticipated reduced complexity and cost in comparison with the conventional pyro-processing. The production of the MSR-SSR-SMR fuel using SUNF feedstock is a multistage reductive extraction process using bismuth metal. A liquid cadmium cathode has been shown to be effective at simultaneously collecting both uranium and transuranic elements (Np, Pu, Am, Cm) during electrorefining. Solid-gas reaction processes are used to synthetize actinide chlorides and fluorides. While the chemical processes associated with producing chloride salts are established, commercial capabilities for the production of uranium chloride fuel salts do not currently exist. It is anticipated that significant technical and financial investment is needed in the Canadian nuclear industry to develop the infrastructure necessary for the reprocessing of used nuclear fuel from currently operating reactors and for the production of molten chloride salt fuel.