Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Reduce the long-lived components of radioactive waste and ease its management by developing EU competencies and expertise in partitioning and transmutation (P&T) and actinide fuel fabrication processes.
• Address the Nuclear Safety Directive^[1], Basic Safety Standards Directive^[2] and Radioactive Waste Management Directive^[3] requirements on P&T and improve the sharing of best practices between the European nuclear industry, research organisations, universities, technical support organisations, the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group and the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association.
• Address the safety aspects of optimising fuel cycles regarding the use of resources and reducing radioactive waste with a direct impact on fuel composition, fuel treatment and recycling.

This action aims to strengthen important Euratom research undertaken in previous programmes and make real advances towards demonstration of P&T processes – a key component of future fuel cycle strategies to some Member States, whether critical or sub-critical ADS advanced and innovative reactor systems. This research will improve the safety of processes by using state-of-the-art P&T technology towards a closure of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Even if a final repository would still be needed, P&T would drastically reduce the radiotoxicity, heat production and package volume of high-level radioactive waste, thereby easing the long-term safety of a final repository as stated by some Member States. It will strengthen EU/Euratom leadership in this domain and open new avenues towards increased energy security of supply and industrial competitiveness.

Although R&D on advanced fuel cycle technologies has been carried out for decades, there is consensus within the international community that a complete programme is needed with the aim of (i) industrial maturity to demonstrate the feasibility of a closed fuel cycle; (ii) minimisation of high-level radioactive waste; and (iii) increased safety. Indeed, most technologies for advanced transuranic management strategies (e.g. Pu multi-recycling and minor actinide (MA) transmutation) need to achieve a higher level of technological and economic development before they can be deployed on an industrial scale. As such, further efforts are needed among other things in the following areas:

• separation technologies;
• fuel fabrication;
• transmutation systems;
• fuel reprocessing;
• fuel technological aspects (particularly for MA-loaded fuels), including transportation, cooling and handling.

Developing advanced experiments, digital and High Performance Computing numerical simulation tools, taking full advantage of existing knowledge, competence and expertise and international cooperation should be highly beneficial.

On the radioactive waste management aspects, appropriate links should be established with the relevant initiatives within the EURAD-2 partnership.

[1] Council Directive 2009/71/Euratom of 25 June 2009 establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations ((OJ L 172, 2.7.2009, p.18), as amended by Council Directive 2014/87/Euratom of 8 July 2014 amending Directive 2009/71/Euratom establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations (OJ L 219, 25.7.2014, p. 42).

[2] Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, and repealing Directives 89/618/Euratom, 90/641/Euratom, 96/29/Euratom, 97/43/Euratom and 2003/122/Euratom.

[3] Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom of 19 July 2011 establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste (OJ L 199, 2.8.2011, pp. 48–56).