nbsp   Can the CANDU reactor be used to burn weapons-grade plutonium (as MOX)?
[A. CANDU Technology] [B. The Industry] [C. Cost/Benefit] [D. Safety/Liability] [E. Waste] [F. Security/Non-Proliferation] [G. Uranium] [H. Research Reactors] [I. Other R&D] [J. Further Info] Background International non-proliferation agreements have identified large quantities of surplus weapons-grade uranium and plutonium in both the U.S. and Russia. This FAQ addresses the issue of surplus plutonium; a separate FAQ deals with the uranium issue. A key 1994 report [7] by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences described the surplus-plutonium situation as a “clear and present danger to national and international security”. The surplus plutonium must therefore be managed responsibly, and one attractive option is to “burn” the plutonium as fuel in a nuclear reactor (mixed with conventional uranium-dioxide fuel – a product known as “Mixed Oxide”, or MOX, fuel). Weapons-grade plutonium is quite different from the type of plutonium created in a nuclear power reactor, but is still usable as fue
