Four members of Congress from South Carolina have asked the U.S. Department of Energy for more information about the Department of Energy’s efforts to develop next generation nuclear fuel technology.
U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C., were among the 72 members of Congress to sign a letter authored by U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., asking Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm for more information about the department’s efforts to develop nuclear fuel reprocessing technologies.
Wilson represents Aiken and Barnwell counties along with most of the Columbia suburbs. Norman represents most of the Charlotte suburbs in South Carolina. Mace represents the Low Country including Charleston and Hilton Head. Duncan represents southwestern South Carolina including Edgefield County.
Nuclear fuel reprocessing is the removal of unused uranium and other fission products from nuclear fuel that’s already gone through a nuclear reactor (spent nuclear fuel). Both the unused uranium and some of the fission products (particularly thorium 232) can be used as nuclear fuel.
The Savannah River Site, located in Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale counties, is the site of a failed effort to construct a facility to reprocess spent nuclear fuel into mixed-oxide fuel.
Duncan said in a news release that the sustainability of the United States nuclear fuel cycle is imperative to national security and energy security. He added that technological advancements in fuel reprocessing provide benefits to long-term fuel security.
Around three-quarters of the uranium mined in 2021 comes from four countries – Kazakhstan (45%), Namibia (12%), Canada (10%) and Australia (9%) – according to the World Nuclear Association.
Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia and is closely allied with Russia and its likely that uranium mined there would have to transit through Russia on its way to the United States.
Namibia is located in southwestern Africa, and China is making a huge push to gain access to that continent’s natural resources.
“Advanced reactor technologies combined with fuel reprocessing advancements will help create a more sustainable and secure fuel cycle,” Duncan continued. “There is no doubt this will help establish our nuclear leadership globally, and we look forward to working with the DOE to advance these goals.”
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