Continuous reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel

A method of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, the method comprising:

• adding the spent nuclear fuel to an electro-reduction cell, wherein the electro-reduction cell comprises a halide salt electrolyte, and anode, and a cathode comprising an alloy of uranium and a first metal forming a low melting point alloy with uranium, the first metal being one or more of:
• iron;
• chromium;
• nickel;
• manganese;
• and
• cobalt;
• wherein the spent nuclear fuel comprises uranium oxide, plutonium and other actinides having a higher atomic number than uranium, and at least 1 mol of lanthanides per tonne of uranium in the spent nuclear fuel wherein the electro-reduction cell is operated at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy;
• the method further comprising:
• electrochemically reducing the spent nuclear fuel at a potential sufficient to reduce plutonium and lanthanides in the spent nuclear fuel, in order to form a molten alloy of the first metal, uranium and the other actinides having a higher atomic number than uranium present in the spent nuclear fuel;
• and
• extracting the molten alloy from the electro-reduction cell, during the step of electrochemically reducing the spent nuclear fuel, and while uranium oxide is still present in the electro-reduction cell.