﻿ Reprocessing | Greenpeace International   Background - June
27, 2006 Every uranium-fuelled nuclear reactor creates plutonium
during routine operation. Every 12-18 months the reactor is shut
down, and one quarter of the fuel is discharged, and fresh fuel
loaded. The so-called spent fuel consists of plutonium (around 1
percent), uranium (around 96 percent) and so called fission
products (highly radioactive waste).  The Sellafield nuclear
complex where reprocessing takes place.  Originally developed
for chemically extracting the plutonium for use in nuclear
weapons, reprocessing facilities were constructed in the US,
Soviet Union, the UK and France. During the 1950's and 1960's
nuclear power advocates in these countries and others promoted
the concept of using plutonium as a fuel for nuclear reactors,
with the aim of providing an unlimited source of energy. The
concept of the breeder reactor was developed, whereby plutonium
would be produced in the reactor, reprocessed and then used as
fuel.  However, fast bre