US Particle Accelerators Convert Nuclear Waste to Electricity Reduce Radioactive Life by 99.7%

Researchers at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility are developing Accelerator-Driven Systems (ADS) to convert long-lived nuclear waste into shorter-lived isotopes using high-energy proton beams. Funded by $8.17 million from the Department of Energy’s NEWTON program, the project aims to enhance efficiency by using niobium-tin cavities and magnetrons to meet power requirements. This technology could significantly reduce the hazardous lifespan of nuclear waste from 100,000 years to 300 years, enabling the recycling of the U.S. commercial nuclear fuel stockpile within 30 years.

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