The AMSTER concept (actinides molten salt transmutER) Original Research Article

Under the terms of guideline 1 of the 1991 law passed by the French Parliament concerning the future of radioactive waste, we are looking for an effective solution for in-core incineration of waste. After a brief presentation of the various solutions examined by the scientific community, we will determine which parameters need to be optimised for an incinerator reactor. A permanently reprocessed, highly thermalised spectrum molten salt reactor meets these requirements. We will initially present an electricity generating version of this type of reactor, which produces very little long-lived waste using a uranium or thorium support. We will then examine the possibility of incinerating the transuranium elements produced by pressurised water reactors (PWR). Finally, we will show how to produce a thorium support reactor, generating its own fissile uranium by means of a under-moderated fertile zone around the periphery of the core.