An ATW is a subcritical nuclear facility which uses a high energy, high proton beam directed onto a liquid lead or solid tungsten target. The spallation reaction, driven by the proton beam (from a linear accelerator), will create a high neutron flux in the vicinity of the target. The neutrons will be thermalized in a surrounding target/blanket system containing actinides and the long-lived fission products Technetium-99 and Iodine-129. The actinides will fission and the LLFPs will transmute into stable or short-lived species. An on-line chemical separation facility will remove the stable and short-lived isotopes, as well as the fission products produced in the blanket. At equilibrium, the ATW will incinerate one LWR's yearly production of higher actinides and the LLFPs 99Tc and 129I per year of operation. At the same time, the ATW will produce 274 MWe for sale to the grid.
Although the ATW is now only in the development stage, it is a new technology which promises a steady supply of electricity while significantly reducing the amount of storage capacity required for this country's nuclear waste. This alone should warrant further investigation into the possibility of an accelerator driven waste transmuter.