Fast breeder reactors

For many years the nuclear industry has claimed that fast breeder reactors will vastly extend the lifespan of nuclear power.

Fast breeder reactors use plutonium from spent fuel as a fuel source. Plutonium is one of the most poisonous elements known by mankind; it is not found in nature and can only be produced artificially. With the use and 'breeding' of plutonium a closed cycle could be reached that would end the dependency on limited uranium resources. But despite huge investments and research over the last decades, breeder reactors have been a technological and economic failure.

Breeders in the UK, and the French Super Phoenix, have been permanently closed down due to safety concerns and a serious 1995 accident at the Monju Fast Breeder plant in Japan led to its permanent closure (FOE, 1998). Currently there are no commercial fast breeder reactors in operation in the world and hopes of developing a successful fast breeder programme are fading quickly.