The Strategy for the Management and Disposal of Used Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste is a framework for moving toward a sustainable program to deploy an integrated system capable of transporting, storing, and disposing of used nuclear fuel1 and high-level radioactive waste from civilian nuclear power generation, defense, national security and other activities.
This written testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee discusses the storage and transportation of spent nuclear fuel. This entry has a PDF printout of the <a href="http://www.energy.gov/articles/secretary-moniz-s-written-testimony-sena… webpage</a>.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Under a contract with the Department of Energy (DOE), the AREVA Team has evaluated the alternatives for developing a used nuclear fuel (UNF) Consolidated Storage Facility (CSF) for UNF from US reactor plants. The study, based upon specific criteria and requirements for the US, considered numerous credible storage options and selected the one that met the needs of the country. For this task, the AREVA Team comprises AREVA, URS, Duke Energy, Dominion, and Coghill Communications, Inc.
1.1 Purpose
The “Strategy for the Management and Disposal of Used Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste” report was issued by the Department of Energy (DOE) in January 2013. The strategy includes a phased, adaptive, and consent based approach to siting and implementing a comprehensive management and disposal system. It also endorses a waste management system containing a pilot interim storage facility and a full-scale interim storage facility, which prioritizes the acceptance of fuel from shut-down reactors. Required features of the system and facilities are:
This report has been prepared by the industry team of Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure,
Inc. (Shaw) and Longenecker & Associates (L&A) in response to the Department of Energy
(DOE) Statement of Work, “Development of Consolidated Storage Facility Design
Concepts,” indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity Task Order No. 11, as specified by the
DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy.
The objective of this siting study work is to support DOE in evaluating integrated advanced nuclear plant and ISFSI deployment options in the future. This study looks at several nuclear power plant growth scenarios that consider the locations of existing and planned commercial nuclear power plants integrated with the establishment of consolidated interim spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs).
This report provides information on the inventory of commercial spent nuclear fuel, referred to herein as used nuclear fuel (UNF), as well as Government-owned UNF and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). Actual or estimated quantitative values for current inventories are provided along with inventory forecasts derived from examining a different future commercial nuclear power generation scenarios. The report also includes select information on the characteristics associated with the wastes examined (e.g. type, packaging, heat generation rate, decay curves).
Independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs) are currently licensed for 20 years. However, delays in developing permanent spent fuel disposal capability require continued ISFSI storage beyond the 20-year term. This report provides a technical basis for demonstrating the feasibility of extended spent fuel storage in ISFSIs.
The Industry Spent Fuel Storage Handbook (“the Handbook”) addresses the relevant aspects of at-reactor spent (or used) nuclear fuel (SNF) storage in the United States. With the prospect of SNF being stored at reactor sites for the foreseeable future, it is expected that all U.S. nuclear power plants will have to implement at-reactor dry storage by 2025 or shortly thereafter. The Handbook provides a broad overview of recent developments for storing SNF at U.S. reactor sites, focusing primarily on at-reactor dry storage of SNF.
Understanding the changing nuclear and mechanical characteristics of used nuclear fuel (UNF) over time and how these changing characteristics affect storage, transportation, and disposal options can require many tools and types of data. To streamline analysis capabilities for the waste management system, a comprehensive, integrated data and analysis tool has been assembled—UNF-Storage, Transportation & Disposal Analysis Resource and Data System (UNF-ST&DARDS).
