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CourseNuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies Applications open

Open vs Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycles Course

300-hour online course on open vs closed nuclear fuel cycles. 6 modules covering IAEA SSR-4 (safety of fuel cycle facilities), Directive 2011/70/Euratom (management of spent fuel and waste) and SCALE (ORIGEN). Assigned tutor and open enrolment.

Duration300 h
ModeOnline
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Virtual lab · try it before you enrol

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Describe the stages of open and closed fuel cycles.

02

Compare the use of uranium resources in each cycle.

03

Analyse radiotoxicity and waste volume according to strategy.

04

Evaluate the economics and industrial maturity of reprocessing.

05

Assess the implications of safeguards and non-proliferation.

06

Consider the factors of social acceptance and public decision-making.

07

Develop a comparative analysis of fuel cycle strategies.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Nuclear fuel cycle engineer wishing to specialise in Open vs Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycles.
  • Waste management strategy analyst wishing to specialise in Open vs Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycles.
  • Safeguards specialist wishing to specialise in Open vs Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycles.
  • Energy policy analyst wishing to specialise in Open vs Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycles.
  • Reprocessing engineer wishing to specialise in Open vs Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycles.
  • Nuclear economics consultant wishing to specialise in Open vs Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycles.
  • Graduates in engineering or science seeking to enter the nuclear fuel industry.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • IAEA SSR-4 (safety of fuel cycle facilities)
  • Directive 2011/70/Euratom (management of spent fuel and waste)
  • IAEA INFCIRC/153 (comprehensive safeguards agreements)
  • Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
  • IAEA SSR-5 (disposal of radioactive waste)
  • Royal Decree 102/2014 (management of spent fuel and radioactive waste)
Syllabus

6 modules · 300 h

  1. 1.1Cycle stages: mining, conversion, enrichment and fabrication
  2. 1.2In-reactor stage and discharge
  3. 1.3Final stages: storage and final disposal
  4. 1.4Definition of open cycle
  5. 1.5Definition of closed cycle
  6. 1.6Partially closed cycles
  7. 1.7Countries and current strategies
  8. 1.8Reference data for the cycle
  9. 1.9Sector vocabulary and units
  10. 1.10Exercise: drawing a country's cycle
  1. 2.1Uranium reserves and resources
  2. 2.2Uranium price and its history
  3. 2.3Resource use efficiency in an open cycle
  4. 2.4Resource gain from recycling
  5. 2.5The role of thorium as an alternative resource
  6. 2.6Depleted uranium and its possible use
  7. 2.7Fast reactors and breeding of fissile material
  8. 2.8Resource availability outlook
  9. 2.9Supply dependence and geopolitics
  10. 2.10Practice: calculating the uranium requirements of a fleet
  1. 3.1Waste inventory of each cycle
  2. 3.2Comparing volume and activity
  3. 3.3Residual heat and its effect on disposal
  4. 3.4Long-term radiotoxicity
  5. 3.5Effect of actinide recycling
  6. 3.6Separation and transmutation: real scope
  7. 3.7Need for geological storage in both cases
  8. 3.8Secondary waste from recycling
  9. 3.9Indicators for comparing options
  10. 3.10Practice: comparing the inventories of two cycles
  1. 4.1Cost structure of the cycle
  2. 4.2Fuel cost within the generation cost
  3. 4.3Cost of reprocessing and fabrication of recycled fuel
  4. 4.4Cost of final management in each option
  5. 4.5Facility investment and amortisation
  6. 4.6Project and regulatory risk
  7. 4.7Existing industrial capacity
  8. 4.8Technological maturity of each stage
  9. 4.9Sensitivity analysis to the uranium price
  10. 4.10Practice: comparing the costs of two cycles
  1. 5.1Safety risks of cycle facilities
  2. 5.2Transport associated with each option
  3. 5.3Physical protection of material
  4. 5.4Safeguards and proliferation resistance
  5. 5.5Criteria for assessing proliferation risk
  6. 5.6Social acceptance of facilities
  7. 5.7Public participation in decision-making
  8. 5.8Reversibility of the chosen strategy
  9. 5.9Intergenerational ethical dimension
  10. 5.10Practice: multi-criteria analysis of options
  1. 6.1Choice of the reference nuclear fleet
  2. 6.2Definition of the options to compare
  3. 6.3Material balance of each option
  4. 6.4Waste inventory and its evolution
  5. 6.5Comparative economic analysis
  6. 6.6Safety and safeguards analysis
  7. 6.7Multi-criteria analysis and weighting
  8. 6.8Reasoned recommendation and its conditions
  9. 6.9Study report
  10. 6.10Project defence
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

Fully 100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetable: students progress at their own pace within the intake, making it possible to combine the course with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is SCALE (ORIGEN), Serpent, Python (NumPy), Advanced Excel, NFCSim / DYMOND (fuel cycle scenario simulation), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Case studies are based on real fuel cycle scenario simulation procedures, radiotoxicity calculations for waste and comparative economic analysis. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final integrative project.

Accreditable laboratories(EN ISO/IEC 17025) with rotor test bench, EMC/Lightning pre-compliance, HIL/SIL, vibration/acoustics.
Evidence-oriented final project:safety case, test plan, compliance dossier and operational limits.
Industry mentoring:lecturers with a background in training, , eVTOL/UAM and flight test.
Flexible format(hybrid/online), international cohorts and support from SEIUM Career Services.
Ethics and safety:safety-by-design approach, cyber-OT, DIH and compliance as pillars.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Choice of the reference nuclear fleet

Describe the stages of open and closed fuel cycles.

Definition of the options to compare

Compare the use of uranium resources in each cycle.

Material balance of each option

Analyse radiotoxicity and waste volume according to strategy.

Waste inventory and its evolution

Evaluate the economics and industrial maturity of reprocessing.

Comparative economic analysis

Assess the implications of safeguards and non-proliferation.

Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Nuclear fuel cycle engineerWaste management strategy analystSafeguards specialistEnergy policy analystReprocessing engineerNuclear economics consultant
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • No prior qualification required.
  • Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
  • Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory reading.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.

You work with SCALE (ORIGEN), Serpent, Python (NumPy), Advanced Excel, NFCSim / DYMOND (fuel cycle scenario simulation). Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.

An own SEIUM diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.

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