How To Use Up Nuclear Waste Generating Electricity - CleanTechnica

The article discusses a nuclear technology concept developed around 1989-1990 under Carlo Rubbia at CERN, aimed at generating electricity from radioactive materials while minimizing nuclear waste and eliminating proliferation risks. This approach, initially called the "Energy Amplifier" and later renamed the "Accelerator Driven System" (ADS), involves a reactor design that uses a particle accelerator to drive protons into a heavy liquid metal (such as lead or mercury) containing dissolved radioactive substances like thorium, unenriched uranium, or nuclear waste. The proton collisions induce spallation, releasing neutrons that trigger nuclear reactions in the radioactive atoms, producing energy and transmuting hazardous isotopes into stable or less harmful elements. A key advantage of the ADS is that it operates without reaching critical mass, enhancing safety, and it significantly reduces the longevity and radioactivity of nuclear waste. For example, radioactive isotopes like strontium-90 are converted through decay chains into stable elements such as zirconium-90, and most