Nuclear: Circular economy, ENEA develops fuels to reduce waste

ENEA is developing nuclear fuels that are ready for reuse, thereby reducing the amount of waste to be managed and implementing the principles of the circular economy in this sector too.

The ENEA Bologna Research Center is designing the manufacturing plants for these latest-generation fuels, capable of improving the safety, sustainability, and costs of nuclear energy. Such fuels, like nitrides, are a key element in the operation of a nuclear plant and in various education and training activities to train new generations of European researchers.

"The overall purpose is to create a synergistic context of theoretical and experimental research to reimagine the current process (manufacturing, reprocessing, and remanufacturing) and ensure that fuel is produced using advanced techniques and technologies like additive manufacturing and 3D printing, which can then facilitate its recovery and management," explained ENEA project manager Francesco Lodi, a researcher at the Nuclear Department. "We worked closely with the Swedish start-up Blykalla," he said "to define an industrial plan layout for the manufacture of nitrides based on innovative technologies and methodologies."

ENEA has also contributed significantly to the implementation of training initiatives, like dedicated schools and field training, providing its long-standing expertise in advanced nuclear reactors design and fuel.

The outcomes of the FREDMANS project, covering both documented and experimental results, aim to create a European nuclear supply chain that is more efficient in its use of resources, both through technological innovation and t training of new generations of researchers. "The safety of nuclear power in the future" Lodi concluded, "is based on skilled professionals who will be increasingly aware of the importance of integrating sustainability into the nuclear system".