Mineral processing in the Indian nuclear energy programme

Murthy, T.K.S.

doi:10.1007/bf02744653

Cited by 4 publications

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“…This has been amended to include monazite by using the weightings for monazitic beach sands from India from Ref. [25] and weighting these in relation to their economic value (using 2011 US $ values provided in Ref. [26]).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life-cycle impacts from novel thorium–uranium-fuelled nuclear energy systems

Ashley

Fenner

Nuttall

et al. 2015

Energy Conversion and Management

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a b s t r a c tElectricity generated from nuclear power plants is generally associated with low emissions per kWh generated, an aspect that feeds into the wider debate surrounding nuclear power. This paper seeks to investigate how life-cycle emissions would be affected by including thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle, and in particular its inclusion in technologies that could prospectively operate open Th-U-based nuclear fuel cycles. Three potential Th-U-based systems operating with open nuclear fuel cycles are considered: AREVA's European Pressurised Reactor; India's Advanced Heavy Water Reactor; and General Atomics' Gas-Turbine Modular Helium Reactor. These technologies are compared to a reference U-fuelled European Pressurised Reactor. A life-cycle analysis is performed that considers the construction, operation, and decommissioning of each of the reactor technologies and all of the other associated facilities in the open nuclear fuel cycle. This includes the development of life-cycle analysis models to describe the extraction of thorium from monazitic beach sands and for the production of heavy water. The results of the life-cycle impact analysis highlight that the reference U-fuelled system has the lowest overall emissions per kWh generated, predominantly due to having the second-lowest uranium ore requirement per kWh generated. The results highlight that the requirement for mined or recovered uranium (and thorium) ore is the greatest overall contributor to emissions, with the possible exception of nuclear energy systems that require heavy water. In terms of like-for-like comparison of mining and recovery techniques, thorium from monazitic beach sands has lower overall emissions than uranium that is either conventionally mined or recovered from in-situ leaching. Although monazitic beach sands (and equivalent placer deposits) only form 30% of the overall known thorium ore deposits, it is expected that such deposits would generally be utilised first if thorium becomes a viable nuclear fuel. Overall, for these four nuclear energy technologies, the range of CO 2 (eq) emissions per kWh generated (6.60-13.2 gCO 2 (eq)/kWh) appears to be low in comparison to the majority of electricity-generating technologies.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life-cycle impacts from novel thorium–uranium-fuelled nuclear energy systems

Ashley

Fenner

Nuttall

et al. 2015

Energy Conversion and Management

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“…NUCLEAR R&D BUDGET: India's budget forFY 1989FY -1990 billion rupees (about $1.28 billion U.S.), which is a 29% increase over the prior year; this funding also includes plant operations and design (NW 3/16/89) in total CANDU-type reactors and LWR reactors and the associated fuel cycles: uranium mining, milling and conversion; uranium enrichment; fuel fabrication; heavy water production; reprocessing in small plants adjacent to nuclear power stations; this strategy has been achieved(Murthy 1988); if enriched UF 6 supply for India's BWRs is cut off, it may fuel with U0 2 -Pu0 2 2.2 POLICY ON THE FRONT END OF THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE:The stra1egy is to be independent in all capabilities on the front end of the fuel cycle; this includes uranium mining, milling and conversion, uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication, and heavy water production (NE11/87); India also plans to develop the FBR system, starting with a uranium-plutonium fuel system, then using mixed carbide fuels, andThe Nuclear Power Corporation reports to DAE; it is responsible for design, construction, and operation/maintenance of nuclear power stations Bhabha Atomic Research Center) at Trombay, Bombay, carries out fuel cycle, waste vitrification and disposal R&D, and R&D on uranium ore processing {Murthy 1988); BARC also carries out isotope production and processing; it has five test reactors, a number of pilot-scale facilities for fuel reprocessing, isotope production and processing, fuel materials production {heavy water, zirconium, titanium, thorium) and related R&D; it has facilities for treatment of alpha-emitting wastes (incineration, wet oxidation), immobilization of fuel cladding hulls, and decommissioning R&D; the budget for BAAC for FY-1989-90 is1.8 billion rupees (about $120 million U.S.The Indira Ghandi Centre for Atomic Research) at Kalpak~am carries out fuel cycle R&D, including FBR fuel reprocessing and waste management; it has an interim storage facility for vitrified HLW; it has a fast breeder test reactor and a thorium-fueled test reactor {Kamini reactor, 30 kW); it carries out major R&D on FBA power reactors (NEI 1/90; Leigh and Mitchell 1990); a nuclear science center was established at the University of Madras in 1989 with linkage to IGCAA; the All steps in the production of fuel for nuclear reactors are…”

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confidence: 99%

National briefing summaries: Nuclear fuel cycle and waste management

Schneider¹,

Bradley²,

Fletcher³

et al. 1991

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Transuranic (or Alpha) Wastes: These are non-high-level w.:1stes that contain significant amounts of long-lived, alpha-emitting radionuclides. The wastes require long-term isolation from the biosphere.Other groupings of wastes include: Gaseous Wastes: These wastes include gaseous radionuclides and/or radionuclides as aerosols that are removed from gaseous waste streams. They generally fall into the low-level waste category, but some can be categorized as intermediate-level wastes. The wastes arise primarily from fuel reprocessing and from reactor operations and waste processing facilities. Typical radionuclides include hydrogen-3, carbon-14, iodine-129. Uranium or Thorium Mine and Mill Tailings: These wastes consist of large volumes of ore materials that result from mining (untreated rock) or milling ~treated rock) of ores. The wastes contain only naturally occurring radionuclides (e.g., uranium isotopes and uranium decay chain isotopes).Decommissioning Wastes: These wastes result from decommissioning of nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel cycle facilities. These wastes are generally largu in volume, and most of them are low-level or intermediate-level. although a small amount are ::ontaminated with transuranic radionuclides. NUCLEAR POWERAt the end of 1990, there were 420 nuclear power reactors in operation in 25 countries around the world (including countries with centrally planned economies), with a total net capacity of about 323 GWe (NW 3/14/91). In the countries with nuclear power that are discussed in this document, nuclear power supplied as little as 0.2% of the total electricity consumed in 1989 in Pakistan to as much as 74.6% in France. And because all of Italy's reactors have been shut down, nuclear power supplied 0% of its total electricity. Most of the nuclear power reactors in the world are light water reactors (LWRs), with the majority of these being pressurized water reactors (PWRs), and a significant fraction being boiling water reactors (BWRs). Other significant power reactor types are gas-coc:Jied reactors and pressurized heavy water reactors. Nine small fast-breeder reactors are also producin!J power (NEI 6/90).A summary of projections of net nuclear power plant capacity in the world, including countries that currently do not have nuclear power but are planning for it, is •Jiven in Table 1. By 1995, nucleargenerated electricity is projected to increase by about 1 0%; by 2000, by about 20%, and by 2005, by about 28% (relative to 1990 capacity) (NUKEM 2/91; NEI 6/90). The worldwide growth rate of nuclear power has slowed down significantly in the past five years. Nuclear power is projected to grow at a slower rate in the near future, but it is expected to continue to grow at a steady rate in the early 2000s.The amount of nuclear power in the United States and in a few oth•:!r western countries is currently projected to decline at about the time period of 2000 to 2005, but will continue to rise in many other countries, particularly in the Far East and in countries with centrally planned economies.

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Sonochemical decontamination of magnesium and magnesium-zirconium alloys in mild conditions

Virot

Pflieger

et al. 2021

Journal of Hazardous Materials

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Mineral processing in the Indian nuclear energy programme

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Life-cycle impacts from novel thorium–uranium-fuelled nuclear energy systems

Life-cycle impacts from novel thorium–uranium-fuelled nuclear energy systems

National briefing summaries: Nuclear fuel cycle and waste management

Sonochemical decontamination of magnesium and magnesium-zirconium alloys in mild conditions

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