Nuclear Fuel Cycle of the Future Discussed at Argonne

On May 12 and 13, the Academy and Argonne National Laboratory hosted a workshop, “Toward a New Nuclear Regime: The Fuel Cycle of the Future.” International representation from developed and emerging nuclear countries, as well as regional and international organizations, included senior policy officials, eminent scientists and educators, and leaders of the nuclear industry.

Two of the key questions the participants explored were: “Will the expansion of nuclear power create more opportunities for nuclear proliferation, ‘latent’ proliferation, regional instability, and acts of nuclear terrorism? Will a resurgence of nuclear power bring a corollary increase in sensitive fuel cycle facilities?”

The results and recommendations from this workshop will be critical input for the Academy’s ongoing initiative, the Global Nuclear Future, which seeks to generate an integrated set of policy recommendations for balancing the growing global demand for civilian nuclear power with the need to promote nuclear safety and strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime. As part of its program area, the Academy is engaged in a series of studies on how the international community can devise new cooperative structures to improve global security and employ science and technology to enhance the human condition.