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2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 8–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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From renaissance to reality: Infrastructure for a global nuclear fuel cycle
Dale Klein
This article was adapted from the author’s speech during a plenary at the 21st International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM 2025), San Antonio, Texas, July 2025.
There has been a lot of discussion lately about reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But I want to be clear: When it comes to nuclear safety and security, there is no place for partisan politics. I support efforts to streamline regulatory processes, but the independence and integrity of the NRC must remain sacrosanct. If we are serious about expanding nuclear power and reclaiming our global leadership in nuclear technology, having a strong independent regulator is fundamental.
Right now, we’re on the edge of a global nuclear resurgence driven by rising demand from data centers, growing concerns about energy security, and the need to decarbonize industry.
Massimo Zucchetti
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 19 | Number 3 | May 1991 | Pages 852-856
Advanced Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/FST91-A29451
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Three types of fusion reactors, based on DT, DD and DHe fuel cycles, are compared from the first wall neutron-induced radioactivity point of view. Some of the definitions of low-activity, based on hands-on recycling, remote recycling, “U.S.” shallow land burial and deep geological confinement waste management criteria, are discussed. A three-classes rank of low-activity is proposed. The analysis of the induced radioactivity in first-wall steels shows that the long-term activity remains at high levels in DD and DHe cases too. DD and DT first-wall steels can be classified in none of the above-mentioned low-activity classes. Neutron induced radioactivity in some of the main constituting elements for the first-wall varies, when turning from DT to DD or DHe irradiation conditions. This depends on the different ways by which the long-lived radioactive nuclides are produced. Materials selection and low-activation alloys development, in order to minimize activity, will be necessary also for the first walls of fusion reactors based on advanced fuel cycles.