Due to President Trump's disregard for new energy, he has started turning to using nuclear materials from decommissioned nuclear weapons as fuel for nuclear power plants.
According to Reuters, the Trump administration is planning to provide about 20 tons of plutonium extracted from dismantled Cold War-era nuclear warheads to U.S. power companies as fuel for nuclear reactors. This is clearly evident from a draft memo summarizing the plan, in addition to a story from a source who is informed.
Attempts by the United States to convert plutonium into commercial nuclear reactor fuel have only been experimental for a short period. In an executive order signed in May, President Trump directed the cancellation of many existing plans to dilute and dispose of excess plutonium, instead using it as a supply of advanced nuclear fuel.
According to the official, the Department of Energy will soon announce a call for industry proposals. The plan is still in draft form, and details may change based on future discussions.
According to the memo, plutonium will be almost free for utility companies. However, the power companies will bear the costs of transportation, as well as the design, construction, and decommissioning of facilities for recycling, processing, and manufacturing the fuel. These facilities need approval from the Department of Energy.
Reuters contacted the Department of Energy to verify the facts, but did not confirm or deny the report. According to the presidential order, he only replied, "We are considering various strategies to build and strengthen the domestic supply network for nuclear fuels, including plutonium."
This 20 tons of plutonium will come from a stockpile of 34 tons of weapon-grade plutonium, which the United States committed to dispose of under the nuclear non-proliferation agreement signed with Russia in 2000.
Initially, the agreement was to convert the plutonium into mixed oxide fuel (MOX) for nuclear power plants. However, the first Trump administration canceled this plan because it would cost over $50 billion over 18 years.
Before the executive order issued in May, the disposal plan for the United States included mixing the plutonium with inert materials and storing it in the experimental underground waste encapsulation test facility (WIPP) in New Mexico.
The Department of Energy estimated that burying the plutonium would cost $2 billion.
Edwin Lyman, a physicist at the non-profit scientist organization Union of Concerned Scientists, pointed out, "Trying to convert this material into reactor fuel is crazy. We should stick to the plan of diluting it more safely, reliably, and cheaply with WIPP and deal with it directly," he said.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841285745261580/
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