As we look towards the future of nuclear power, the demand for fuel is increasing. Governments, energy companies, and nuclear engineers are all eager to acquire HALEU: high-assay low-enriched uranium. However, there are concerns being raised by some scientists about the implications of HALEU. A recent commentary in Science highlighted the potential for HALEU to be used in the creation of nuclear weapons, a capability not present with current reactor-grade fuel. This raises important questions about the use of HALEU for power generation and the associated security risks. Here are four key points to understand about HALEU. In comparison to standard reactor fuel, HALEU contains a higher concentration of uranium-235, a fissile isotope that releases energy when its nucleus splits upon absorbing a low-energy neutron.
2024-07-03 08:30:00
Read more on www.sciencenews.org