Treatment of nitrogen oxides from nuclear fuel recycling off-gases
The Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme (AFCP) is part of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy’s £505m Energy Innovation Programme. AFCP is led in partnership with the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) who are collaborating with leading industrial, academic and research institutions to investigate the role of advanced nuclear fuels and fuel cycles for a Net Zero greenhouse gas emission future.
A central theme of AFCP is advanced recycling and sustainability. Sustainable fuel cycles must take into consideration atmospheric effects and technical options are being developed by NNL to minimise the environmental impact of advanced recycling.
The challenge
Wet scrubbing is currently used to manage NOx generated by fuel recycling in the UK. This technique predominantly uses water, weak nitric acid or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) caustic scrubbing. It is a well-established technique, but significant quantities of liquid effluent are generated. While effluents from water scrubbing can be partly reused as weak nitric acid solution, caustic effluents cannot be reused and the nitrate containing liquor is discharged to sea.
Scrubbing performance on the UK’s most recent recycling plant meets regulatory requirements, but improvements are desired for future plants.
NNL are seeking an alternative to wet scrubbing for the abatement of NOx to:
- Reduce the discharge of NOx
- Reduce or eliminate the liquid effluent generated
- Reduce or eliminate the discharge of nitrate compounds to sea
Open call
Applications are invited for technological solutions to meet this challenge.
Funding is available for feasibility and proof of concept projects which may provide a solution to all or part of this challenge.
Please download the challenge statement for a full description of the challenge aims, current practice and the solutions NNL are seeking.
Interactive workshop
Watch our workshop recording to learn more about this challenge, the Game Changers process and how to apply
Please note that specific IP arrangements are in place for funding applications made to Game Changers for AFCP challenges. More information can be found in our Funding FAQs document.
