16.01.2015 Views

Solid Radioactive Waste Strategy Report.pdf - UK EPR

Solid Radioactive Waste Strategy Report.pdf - UK EPR

Solid Radioactive Waste Strategy Report.pdf - UK EPR

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

<strong>EPR</strong> <strong>UK</strong><br />

N° NESH-G/2008/en/0123<br />

REV. A PAGE 204 / 257<br />

Dry unloading will ensure:<br />

· Increased speed of transport container turnover resulting from fewer handling and<br />

decontamination operations;<br />

· Reduced liquid effluent and waste production as a result of simpler operations prior to<br />

and following transport container unloading;<br />

· No requirement for a specific unloading pool which reduces the overall height of the<br />

facility;<br />

· Ability to undertake operations remotely resulting in reduced personnel exposure.<br />

The baseline strategy is that the interim storage facility will be located on the reactor site.<br />

However, given the flexibility of the modular construction of a spent fuel storage facility,<br />

further consideration will be given elsewhere to the option of a centralised facility to<br />

accommodate spent fuel from several reactors, either on the site of one of the reactors or at<br />

a separate site. For example, where the spent fuel back end solution could be implemented<br />

(reprocessing or disposal). For that purpose and as an example, the vault storage technology<br />

is presented and sized for both one or several NPPs.<br />

13.1.4 General Design data<br />

Considering the 241 fuel assemblies contained in the reactor core and the core renewal rate<br />

over the 60 years of the reactor service life, including periodic shutdowns for maintenance,<br />

about 3400 spent fuel assemblies will be produced and will require interim storage. This<br />

equates to a mass of about 1800 tonnes of enriched uranium to be stored per reactor.<br />

Taking into account a 10 year cooling period inside the reactor pool, the thermal output of a<br />

single spent fuel assembly arriving at the interim storage facility is calculated to be 1400<br />

Watts (2000 Watts if using reprocessed fuel).<br />

Whatever technology and/or location is selected, all spent fuel storage facilities must meet<br />

the following safety requirements:<br />

· Ensure criticality control;<br />

· Provide radiation protection;<br />

· Provide safe and secure containment of radioactive material;<br />

· Ensure the integrity of the spent fuel assemblies;<br />

· Maintain adequate cooling of the spent fuel assemblies;<br />

· Facilitate retrieval of the spent fuel assemblies.<br />

This chapter assumes that a dry unloading technology would be implemented, although wet<br />

unloading remains a possible option and further analysis will be required before the final<br />

selection is made.<br />

In addition to spent fuel, the interim storage facilities may be used for activated core<br />

components such as the RCCas. RCCAs can be transferred from the reactor pool to the<br />

spent fuel interim storage facility using the same route as per the spent fuel for further decay.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!