Proliferation Issues and Fuel Cycles Phillip Finck Associate
- Slides: 6
Proliferation Issues and Fuel Cycles Phillip Finck Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Science and Technology September 30, 2009
On the First Hand… • Nuclear energy is a critical component of an integrated greenhouse gas emission solution • Nuclear energy is again expanding worldwide – More and different types of materials in more locations – New technologies and new strategies in more locations – Recent examples demonstrate the need for caution 2
On the Other Hand… • President Obama has stated that while we “must harness the power of nuclear energy on behalf of our efforts to combat climate change, and to advance opportunity for all people … [nuclear terrorism] is the most immediate and extreme threat to global security. ” (Prague, April 5, 2009). • No technical silver bullet • Risk is very hard (maybe impossible) to measure, or even compare for a single technology or an integrated system • Current international regimes are strong but limited 3
Lessons Learned • The old approach (i. e. , technology push, a posteriori fixes) probably won’t be sufficient Need to protect materials, facilities, sensitive technologies, and expertise through integrated development of fuel cycle options. 4
Some Technical Possibilities • Safeguards by Design • More accurate, faster, and better integrated measurement techniques • Co-location of facilities • Unseparated materials • Very long-lived fuels (and cores) • Reinforced international regimes • Novel international regimes 5
N u c Integrated Program Composed of Four Key l Elements e a r Understanding, Safeguards limiting and emanaging risks and Security integrated nforfuel Technologies cycle e options and Systems r Frameworks and g Institutions y t e c Source: S. Scott, Los Alamos National Laboratory (unclassified presentation) 6
