Hackaday

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility are developing NEWTON, a program that fires high-energy protons at a target to generate neutrons capable of transmuting long-lived nuclear waste into shorter-lived isotopes. Currently, spent nuclear fuel remains dangerous for ~100,000 years; the proposed process reduces that to ~300 years while also generating heat convertible to electricity. Key challenges include the need for cryogenic superconducting systems and a 10-megawatt magnetron power requirement. The goal is to process all US nuclear waste within 30 years.

Nuclear Waste Remediation By Proton Beam