Development of closed nuclear fuel cycles in the United States

The United States is developing technology options that would enable a future closed fuel cycle, if such a policy is adapted in the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Cycle Technologies program is researching separation approaches and transmutation fuel development that would support recycle of used nuclear fuel. Partitioning technologies for both light water reactor oxide fuel and metal transmutation fuel are being developed. Aqueous methods are most amenable to oxide fuel processing due to the large historical experience base and high processing throughput needs, and electrochemical processing is being developed for recycle of uranium and transuranics from fast reactor metal fuel.