Off-Gas Treatment Process for Conditioning and Recycling Facilities

Default ARPA-E Project Image

Program:
ONWARDS
Award:
$1,967,150
Location:
Charlotte, North Carolina
Status:
ACTIVE
Project Term:
01/23/2022 - 01/25/2025
Website:

Technology Description:

Orano Federal Services will develop an off-gas treatment unit that can be modified to align with the off-gases produced from the upstream AR fuel processing system. Orano will design “plug and play” treatment units that can be connected to the off-gas exhausts from: (1) a pyro-processing recycling plant treating AR UNF; (2) a plant designed to condition AR UNF in preparation for disposal; and (3) a molten salt reactor with in-line processing of its liquid fuel. This same off-gas treatment concept could also be applied on a recycling plant using an aqueous separations process. The concept can be optimized to capture regulated off-gases and employ treatment processes for waste forms suitable for disposal or long-term decay storage.

Potential Impact:

By identifying and addressing challenges at the back end of the fuel cycle before the deployment of future AR technologies, ONWARDS will:

Security:

Support the growth of advanced nuclear energy with safe and sustainable domestic fuel stocks.

Environment:

Play a vital role in significantly reducing GHG emissions, proactively mitigate the disposal impact of AR UNF with integrated non-proliferation safeguards, and provide transformative solutions to improve the management and disposal of radioactive waste and UNF.

Economy:

Complement ARPA-E’s existing nuclear energy research portfolio, such as the MEITNER and GEMINA programs in AR R&D, further ensuring the commercial viability of innovative new ARs.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Robert Ledoux
Project Contact:
Dr. Sven Bader
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
sven.bader@orano.group

Partners

Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Orano SA
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

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Release Date:
05/19/2021