Research Supporting Implementation of Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Assessment of Transport and Storage Casks

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Regulatory Research (RES) has initiated a program to support effective implementation of burnup credit in the criticality safety assessment of transport and dry storage casks. The goal is to develop technical bases that can be used to provide criteria and guidance for use in licensing activities. The program is being conducted in a phased approach, with the initial focus on unresolved issues related to the use of actinide-only bumupcredit in transport and dry storage casks designed for spent fuel from pressurized-water reaciors (PWRs). The work will gradually expand to investigate credit for fission products in PWR casks and application to burnup credit for boiling-water-reactor (BWR) fuel. This summary will review the status of progress to date and will identify planned activities and priorities.