Conventional reactors (thermal reactors) only use 5% of the potential energy from the fuel rods. So 95% ends up as unused, highly radioactive waste product. A newer type of nuclear reactor, the so-called 'fast-neutron reactors' are capable of recovering more than 99% of this waste to generate energy, effectively reducing the existing amount of nuclear waste. Waste that remains after the recovery process is 'only' dangerous for 500 years, instead of 10,000 years in the case of thermal reactor processing.
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Will this mean more home-made pprn on the blogs?
Conventional reactors (thermal reactors) only use 5% of the potential energy from the fuel rods. So 95% ends up as unused, highly radioactive waste product. A newer type of nuclear reactor, the so-called 'fast-neutron reactors' are capable of recovering more than 99% of this waste to generate energy, effectively reducing the existing amount of nuclear waste. Waste that remains after the recovery process is 'only' dangerous for 500 years, instead of 10,000 years in the case of thermal reactor processing.