Mox in Reactors: Present and Future

In Europe, MOX fuel has been supplied by AREVA for more than 30 years, to 36 reactors: 21 in France, 10 in Germany, 3 in Switzerland, 2 in Belgium. For the present and future, recycling is compulsory in the frame of sustainable development of nuclear energy. By 2030 the overall volume of used fuel will reach about 400 000 t worldwide. Their plutonium and uranium content represents a huge resource of energy to recycle. That is the reason why, the European Utilities issued an EUR (European Utilities Requirement) demanding new builds reactors to be able of using MOX Fuel Assemblies in up to 50% of the core. AREVA GENIII+ reactors, like EPR™ or ATMEA™1 designed with MHI partnership or BWR KERENA, are designed to answer any utility need of MOX recycling. The example of the EPR™ reactor operated with 100% MOX core optimized for MOX recycling will be presented. A standard EPRTM can be operated with 100% MOX core using an advanced homogeneous MOX (single Pu content) with highly improved performances (burn-up and cycle length). The adaptations needed and the main operating and safety reactor features will be presented. AREVA offers the utilities throughout the world, fuel supply (UO2, ERU, MOX), and reactors designed with all the needed capability for recycling. For each country and each utility, an adapted global solution, competitive and non proliferant can be proposed