The nuclear fuel cycle code ANICCA: Verification and a case study for the phase out of Belgian nuclear power with minor actinide transmutation

• Main Authors: I. Merino Rodríguez, A. Hernández-Solís, N. Messaoudi, G. Van den Eynde
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-10-01
• Series: Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• Subjects: Nuclear fuel cycle simulator; Belgian nuclear power; ADS; Transmutation of minor actinides; ANICCA verification
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573319309271

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Code “ANICCA” has been developed by SCK•CEN to answer particular questions about the Belgian nuclear fleet. However, the wide range of capabilities of the code make it also useful for international or regional studies that include advanced technologies and strategies of cycle.This paper shows the main features of the code and the facilities that can be simulated. Additionally, a comparison between several codes and ANICCA has also been made to verify the performance of the code by means of a simulation proposed in the last NEA (OECD) Benchmark Study. Finally, a case study of the Belgian nuclear fuel cycle phase out has been carried out to show the possible impact of the transmutation of the minor actinides on the nuclear waste by the use of an Accelerator Driven System also known as ADS.Results show that ANICCA accomplishes its main purpose of simulating the scenarios giving similar outcomes to other codes. Regarding the case study, results show a reduction of more than 60% of minor actinides in the Belgian nuclear cycle when using an ADS, reducing significantly the radiotoxicity and decay heat of the high-level waste and facilitating its management.