Revolutionary Technology That Could Change the Global Energy Landscape Does Not Come from a Nuclear Superpower.
Since the inception of the nuclear energy industry, the management of its waste has always been a challenging issue, central to environmental concerns.
Every year, the world generates 10,000 cubic meters of high-level radioactive waste and 200,000 cubic meters of low and intermediate-level waste.
The Difficulty of Managing Nuclear Waste is a reason why this industry lacks a future (Illustration: NeozOne).
In response to this issue, Transmutex (Switzerland) has developed advanced technology aimed at reducing the environmental impact of nuclear waste, potentially reducing waste volume by 80%.
This is seen as a revolutionary step that could change the global energy landscape.
The technology developed by Transmutex for waste management involves transforming radioactive elements into their isotopes or completely different elements.
Researchers have successfully used particle accelerators along with certain materials to convert thorium, a lightly radioactive metal found in soil and rock, into isotopes of uranium.
If this accelerator is connected to nuclear fission plants, it would help eliminate the formation of high-level radioactive waste and allow for the immediate processing of newly created uranium, unlike the uranium used in nuclear power plants.
Is This Technology Feasible?
According to the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra), the technology developed by Transmutex could reduce the volume of nuclear waste by 80% and their radioactive half-lives to below 500 years.
This agency has thoroughly examined and concluded that this is a significant advancement in nuclear waste management.
This innovative process could play an important role in the future of clean and sustainable energy, especially in the current context where we are continuously seeking safe solutions for managing the nuclear energy industry.
Clearly, to realize this, countries still face challenges, particularly regarding costs. Constructing this particle accelerator near each nuclear power plant could be very expensive.
Transmutex has taken a pioneering step to accelerate the development of this revolutionary technology and potentially deploy it on a global scale by raising funds since 2020. The company has secured over 20.6 million euros in funding from Union Square Ventures and Steel Atlas, two New York-based investment funds, as well as many other investors.
This demonstrates that the world is highly interested in addressing nuclear waste management and is eager to realize safe, clean, and sustainable nuclear energy solutions, alongside the energy transition towards greener energy sources and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
