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Nuclear Waste Could Be a Source of Fuel in Future Reactors
The proposal aims to create over 10 times more tritium than current fusion reactors by converting nuclear waste, addressing the global shortage of this rare isotope, Tarnowsky said.
- Physicist Terence Tarnowsky announced at the ACS Fall 2025 conference a plan to convert nuclear waste into tritium using an accelerator-driven system, addressing fuel supply issues.
- Facing a tritium shortage, the U.S. relies on Canadian heavy-water reactors, and commercial tritium now costs $33 million per kilogram, says Tarnowsky.
- In simulations, the accelerator-driven system could produce about 4.4 pounds of tritium annually with a 1 gigawatt thermal power, and its TBR exceeds 20, Dr. Tarnowsky said.
- Moreover, the system could lower tritium procurement barriers by turning spent nuclear fuel into a self-sufficient fuel source, reducing reliance on foreign tritium sources.
- Future refinements include Tarnowsky planning advanced thermodynamic and neutron transport modeling to guide policymakers and industry on commercial ADS tritium facilities, potentially accelerating the fusion economy.
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The radioactive hydrogen isotope tritium is needed for fusion reactors. The radiation of nuclear waste can be used for its production
Coverage Details
Total News Sources39
Leaning Left4Leaning Right7Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution39% Center, 39% Right
Bias Distribution
- 39% of the sources are Center, 39% of the sources lean Right
39% Right
L 22%
C 39%
R 39%
Factuality
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