Waste Management Considerations for Fusion Power Reactors

Botts, T.E.; Powell, J.R.

doi:10.13182/nt78-a31980

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 3 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…An indication of the future scale of this challenge can be obtained from model MFEs and the trend in global energy demand. Several authors [75,[98][99][100][101][102] estimate an industry in 2100 of 1000 to 3600 GWe based on DEMO-type power stations. Growth in global energy demand resulting from growing consumption per person and growing population could increase this substantially, resulting in an electricity/hydrogen based MFE with many thousands of DEMO-scale power stations.…”

Section: Likelihoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analyzing the Nuclear Weapons Proliferation Risk Posed by a Mature Fusion Technology and Economy

2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nuclear fusion is widely promoted as the ultimate environmentally friendly solution to the world’s energy demands. However, the medium/long-term nuclear weapons proliferation risks from a hypothetical fusion economy are rarely considered. Using risk assessment tools, this paper undertakes a trial scoping of proliferation hazards arising from fusion energy technologies, focused on the implications of a global ‘Mature Fusion Economy’ (MFE). In the medium term, an MFE could (1) facilitate construction of large, efficient, and reliable nuclear arsenals by producing tritium and the fissile materials Plutonium-239 and Uranium-233; and (2) erode the barriers constraining nuclear weapons acquisition by facilitating the spread of nuclear knowledge, technologies, and materials. Given the potential scale of a global MFE, management via monitoring of proliferation and diplomacy could become unworkable. Therefore, policy development must include independent and comprehensive expert and informed community assessment of such fusion-enhanced risks, transparent oversight by the nuclear disarmament community, and systematic analysis of the issues raised in this paper and their implications for fusion into the very long-term future.

show abstract

Section: Likelihoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analyzing the Nuclear Weapons Proliferation Risk Posed by a Mature Fusion Technology and Economy

2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The dose models are discussed in Chapter 4. It appears that almost any degree of protection against normal releases is possible in principle [5,21,22,23].…”

Section: Outline Of Studymentioning

confidence: 99%