A Swiss-based private fission company, Transmutex, has recently developed a groundbreaking method to reduce the radioactivity of nuclear waste by up to 80%. The technology, which relies on converting an element into its isotope or another element, has been evaluated by Nagra, the country’s nuclear waste management agency.
Unlike previous attempts to turn metals into gold using particle accelerators and nuclear fission plants, Transmutex’s technology involves taking a mildly radioactive element like thorium and converting it into an isotope of uranium. This new type of uranium does not produce plutonium or other highly radioactive waste.
The breakthrough technology was proposed by Carlo Rubbia, a former general director at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), who spent nearly 5 billion USD building the Large Hadron Collider. However, challenges such as expensive construction costs and opposition to nuclear technology remain. If the government can be convinced to invest in this technology, Transmutex’s solution could save nuclear power plants from storing excessive amounts of radioactive waste.
Nagra has assessed that Transmutex’s method can significantly reduce the amount of nuclear waste produced by up to 80% while reducing its duration of radioactivity to less than 500 years. It is also applicable to 99% of today’s nuclear waste. The operational safety of fission reactors is often emphasized but spent fuel requires more attention as it remains radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years after all energy extraction is used up. Last year at COP28 conference, countries decided to triple nuclear power output in the next 25 years but did not draw up a plan for long-term storage of used fuel. However, with technological breakthroughs like Transmutex’s, this need can be met without compromising safety or causing harm to the environment.
In conclusion, Transmutex’s innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize how we handle and dispose of nuclear waste. With its ability to significantly reduce radioactivity levels and make it possible for used fuel rods to be stored safely for less time than before
