TOKYO: Japan’s national nuclear research institute has developed the world’s first rechargeable uranium-based battery, which could help utilise vast stockpiles of radioactive material from nuclear fuel production.
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s research team confirmed the battery’s performance, using uranium as an “active material” to generate electricity through chemical reactions. The uranium used is chemically similar to depleted uranium, a byproduct of nuclear fuel enrichment that cannot be used in conventional reactors.
The institute believes the technology could add new value to depleted uranium and store surplus renewable energy. The 10 cm-wide, 5 cm-tall prototype battery features uranium for the negative electrode and iron for the positive, with a voltage of 1.3V.
It was charged and discharged 10 times with minimal performance change, indicating its stability. If scaled, uranium rechargeable batteries could help utilise the 16,000 tonnes of depleted uranium in Japan and 1.6 million tonnes globally.
Future plans include developing a “redox flow battery” to boost capacity, starting in 2025. However, installation will likely be limited to radiation-controlled areas like nuclear plants. – BERNAMA
