The
nuclear fuel cycle, also called
nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of
nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. It consists of steps in the
front end, which are the preparation of the fuel, steps in the
service period in which the fuel is used during reactor operation, and steps in the
back end, which are necessary to safely manage, contain, and either
reprocess or dispose of
spent nuclear fuel. If spent fuel is not reprocessed, the fuel cycle is referred to as an
open fuel cycle (or a
once-through fuel cycle); if the spent fuel is reprocessed, it is referred to as a
closed fuel cycle.