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DOE researchers at Jefferson Lab are developing Accelerator‑Driven Systems that both generate electricity and transmute long‑lived nuclear waste into safer forms. The approach could shrink radioactive storage timelines from 100,000 years to just 300.
Key Points:
- ADS fires high‑energy protons at liquid mercury targets, producing neutrons that transmute waste while generating heat for electricity
- Advanced niobium‑tin cavity coatings and 10‑megawatt magnetron sources enable higher‑temperature operation with standard cooling units
- The $8.17M NEWTON program, with partners RadiaBeam, General Atomics, and Stellant Systems, is advancing toward scalable deployment
Why It Matters: This technology reframes nuclear waste as a recyclable energy source, potentially solving one of the most persistent challenges in nuclear power: safe, long‑term storage.
