MANAGEMENT OF WASTE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL-THERMONUCLEAR-EXPERIMENTAL-REACTOR AND FROM FUTURE FUSION-POWER-PLANTS

An important inherent advantage of fusion would be the total absence o f high-level radioactive spent fuel as produced in fission reactors. F usion will, however, produce activated material containing both activa tion products and tritium. Part of the material may also contain chemi cally toxic substances. This paper describes methods that could be use d to manage these materials and also methods to reduce or entirely eli minate the waste quantities. The results are based on studies for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and also for f uture fusion power station designs currently under investigation withi n the European programme on the Safety and Environmental Assessment of fusion power, Long-term (SEAL). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.