Nuclear Fuel and Waste

Regarding waste management, I can assure you that it is tedious and I would prefer pass my notes to you rather than posting it here. As how paranoid the safety implementation in a NPP, same goes with its wastes. They created a standard codes to build virtually an indestructible “dustbins” and I’m not joking or lying. Then these “dustbins” are buried deep in the earth within a fortress of thick concrete. Again I remind you, Malaysia agreed to NPT or NNPT which means that IAEA will stuck their nose in this matter as well if we have a NPP (Read post entitled: Things that you might want to know.....Posted on 20/10/2010 for IAEA and NPT or NNPT). That’s why I prefer buying the complete package offered by the Russians -They design the NPP, they build the NPP, we run the NPP, and they take back ALL of its waste either from building phase, assembly phase, operating phase, and even depleted fuel. - This is cheaper considering we only need one NPP and the waste is small rather than we have to build an underground fortress and indestructible “dustbins” which complies with the strict paranoid standards. We only require one nuclear reactor in Malaysia so cut the chase and buying is more reasonable solution.

Regarding Nuclear Fuel. In Malaysia we have no Uranium discovered yet for mining. Even if we have our own Uranium source, by nature it is 99.3% Uranium 238 which is fertile and 0.7% Uranium 235 which is fissile. We want to have fission means that we prefer fissile which concludes that in a block of rock containing Uranium, only 0.7% is the one we want. So here comes the processing part which is called enrichment. NPT or NNPT remember? Enrichment needs to abide the NPT or NNPT article. I prefer not to explain further as it is not feasible in Malaysia. Better we simply buy it rather than producing it. Why? In Russia, there is a NPP with 4 reactors. Guess what? 3 of the reactor are used just to empower the enrichment plant using gasses diffusion process. Imagine up to 3000Mw. We only require one nuclear reactor in Malaysia so cut the chase and buying is more reasonable solution. In addition, 95% of depleted fuel can be recycled to produce MOX fuel. Uranium from mining is called Yellowcake before convert into HEX fuel.

Transportation of either nuclear waste or fuel abides the same extremely safe standards designed by the experts nuclear industry. Yes again, it might sounds like paranoid. Let me give you a clue, you have to construct a ship designed specifically for transportation of nuclear waste which I had mentioned just now being placed in an indestructible "dustbins".  Russian package includes transportation and thus we can lay our hands of this matter.

I do apologize if this post is less informative as I personally think this matter is not suitable for most Malaysians to know in depth. But obviously it is extremely important for Malaysians who are keen to join this industry.