Solid Radioactive Waste Strategy Report.pdf - UK EPR

EPR UK
N° NESH-G/2008/en/0123
REV. A PAGE 203 / 257
13 SPENT FUEL INTERIM STORAGE FACILITIES
13.1 Introduction
13.1.1 General considerations
As already outlined in Chapter 9, a variety of techniques are available to safely store EPR
spent fuel assemblies for a period of 100 years. Three of these options are discussed and
compared in this chapter, based on an assumption in line with the BERR base case that the
facility would be dedicated to a single reactor and would accommodate all fuel assemblies
from that reactor.
13.1.2 Spent Fuel Export From an EPR Reactor
After 10 years storage in the reactor fuel building spent fuel pool, the fuel assemblies have to
be exported to the interim storage facility. This transfer is performed using a shielded
transport container. The following main operations are performed for fuel removal from the
reactor spent fuel pool:
· An empty transport container arrives at the reactor fuel building on a trailer;
· After shock absorber removal, it is rotated to a vertical orientation and placed on a
transfer machine. This machine is used to move the container to the various
operating stations where various container operations are performed;
· At the handling opening station, the container cover is removed and the container is
fitted with a docking flange. The container is filled with water and is then moved to the
biological lid handling station where its lid is removed;
· The transfer machine is then moved beneath the penetration in the lower part of the
loading cell;
· The penetration is placed in contact with the container using a sealing device;
· Once the penetration opened, the fuel assemblies are loaded into the container. The
transfer machine is moved back to the various stations where container post-loading
operations (draining, drying, lid positioning, checks) are performed.
Finally, a loaded container, fitted with shock absorber is exported on a trailer to the interim
storage facility.
13.1.3 Spent fuel Interim Storage Facilities
The following three spent fuel storage technologies have been considered:
1. A wet interim storage facility: fuel assemblies stored in a pool.
2. A dry interim storage facility: fuel assemblies stored in metal casks.
3. A dry interim storage facility: fuel assemblies stored in vault type storage.
All facilities described here are based on available and proven technologies. It should also be
noted that it is assumed that the interim storage facility will be provided with dry unloading
installations, whether the storage system itself is wet or dry. The purpose of the unloading
installation is to remove spent fuel from its transport container. (Note that metal casks do not
require unloading as they form both their own transport and storage container).