Editing Nuclear fuel cycle (section)

===Plutonium cycle===
{{See also|Nuclear power proposed as renewable_energy#Fuel supply}}
[[Image:Plutrecyclefuelcycle.png|500px|thumb|right|A fuel cycle in which plutonium is used for fuel]]
[[File:Ifr concept.jpg|thumb|375px|The [[integral fast reactor]] concept (color), with the reactor above and integrated [[pyroprocessing]] fuel cycle below. A more detailed animation and demonstration is available.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/cBThTwFhRlA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150711171753/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBThTwFhRlA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBThTwFhRlA |title=Historical video about the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) concept|date=March 3, 2014 |publisher= Nuclear Engineering at Argonne}}{{cbignore}}</ref>]]
[[File:IFR concept.png|thumb|375px|IFR concept (Black and White with clearer text)]]
Several countries, including Japan, Switzerland, and previously Spain and Germany,{{citation needed|date=December 2010}} are using or have used the [[Nuclear reprocessing|reprocessing]] services offered by [[Areva NC]] and previously [[THORP]]. [[Fission product]]s, [[minor actinides]], [[activation product]]s, and [[reprocessed uranium]] are separated from the reactor-grade [[plutonium]], which can then be fabricated into [[MOX fuel]]. Because the proportion of the non-[[fissile]] [[even and odd numbers|even]]-[[atomic mass|mass]] [[isotopes of plutonium]] rises with each pass through the cycle, there are currently no plans to reuse plutonium from used MOX fuel for a third pass in a [[thermal reactor]]. If [[fast reactor]]s become available, they may be able to burn these, or almost any other [[actinide]] [[isotope]]s.

The use of a medium-scale [[Nuclear reprocessing|reprocessing]] facility onsite, and the use of [[pyroprocessing]] rather than the present day aqueous reprocessing, is claimed to potentially be able to considerably reduce the [[nuclear proliferation]] potential or possible diversion of fissile material as the processing facility is in-situ. Similarly as plutonium is not separated on its own in the pyroprocessing cycle, rather all actinides are "[[electrowinning|electro-won]]" or "refined" from the spent fuel, the plutonium is never separated on its own, instead it comes over into the new fuel mixed with gamma and alpha emitting actinides, species that "self-protect" it in numerous possible thief scenarios.

Beginning in 2016 Russia has been testing and is now deploying [[Remix Fuel]] in which the spent nuclear fuel is put through a process like Pyroprocessing that separates the reactor Grade Plutonium and remaining Uranium from the fission products and fuel cladding. This mixed metal is then combined with a small quantity of medium enriched Uranium with approximately 17% U-235 concentration to make a new combined metal oxide fuel with 1% Reactor Grade plutonium and a U-235 concentration of 4%. These fuel rods are suitable for use in standard PWR reactors as the Plutonium content is no higher than that which exists at the end of cycle in the spent nuclear fuel. As of February 2020 Russia was deploying this fuel in some of their fleet of [[VVER]] reactors.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/conversion-enrichment-and-fabrication/fuel-fabrication.aspx#ECSArticleLink5 | title=Nuclear Fuel Fabrication - World Nuclear Association}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/REMIX-fuel-pilot-testing-starts-at-Balakovo-reacto |title = REMIX fuel pilot testing starts at Balakovo reactor - World Nuclear News}}</ref>