Spent Fuel and High Level Waste Management

Strategy - Trends - Achievements

Varna - Bulgaria

June 2016

Christophe XERRI

Director

Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology

Nuclear Power Reactors

445 in

operation

64 under

construction 2

Nuclear Fuel Cycle

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Global Statistics on Spent Fuel

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Spent Fuel Inventory

Ref: 2010

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As 31 Dec 2013

A National Responsibility

• Joint Convention – Preamble

Convinced that radioactive waste should, as far as is compatible

with the safety of the management of such material, be disposed

of in the State in which it was generated, whilst recognizing that,

in certain circumstances, safe and efficient management of spent

fuel and radioactive waste might be fostered through agreements

among Contracting Parties to use facilities in one of them for the

benefit of the other Parties, particularly where waste originates

from joint projects

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Joint Convention - Objectives

• To achieve and maintain a high level of Safety worldwide

in spent fuel and radioactive waste management

• To ensure that there are effective defences against

potential hazards so that individuals, society and the

environment are protected now and in the future

• To prevent accidents and mitigate their consequences

should they occur

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Having a Policy and a Plan

A geological repository is always needed

As well as disposal solutions for other

waste

• Choose a reference option

Recycling

Direct disposal

• Define a policy and an implementing strategy

Funding, Schedule, Roles and Responsibilities

Governance and decision making process

Technical options

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Country Example: France

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• Most of used fuel is reprocessed 58 NPP in operation - 1250 tonnes of used fuel every year

La Hague: operated since 1966; capacity 1700 tHM/yr

HLW repository 2025 Bure underground laboratory

Country Example: Sweden

• 10 NPP in operation

• CLAB Centralized wet storage (Oskarshamn) 8000 tHM

• Repository construction: 2015-2025 (Forsmark) pending license

UO2 fuel pellet

CLAB

Cladding tube

Spent nuclear fuel

Bentonite clay

Copper canister with cast-iron insert

Crystalline bedrock

Surface portion of deep repository

Underground gallery

500 m

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Spent Fuel Storage

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Spent Fuel Management : Storage is the First Step

• ~ 10 000 tHM spent fuel is discharged / year and stored

before recycling or disposal

At reactor site

Away from reactor

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

No of AFR Facilities

Available Storage Capacity(ktHM)

• 24 countries have AFR

• 146 facilities

• AFR facilities

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Prolonged Storage is not an Alternative to Disposal

• Prolonged or long-term storage means:

“longer than usual” (~ decades)

It is never unlimited (~ 100 years)

• It may be needed for some time:

Extended solution for decay of some wastes

Ongoing repository development

Gaining public acceptance

• However, there are limits:

Intergenerational equity

The option entails transferring responsibility

to a future generation

Option not sustainable “forever”

RW remains hazardous for too long period

(centuries, millennia, and even hundreds of

millennia)

Joint Convention: Storage is “Holding of SNF or RW in a facility that

provides for its containment, with the intention of retrieval”

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Intermediate Storage :

Examples of Large Centralized New Facilities

• Centralized Interim Storage Installation

(ATC), Spain. Technology vault with a

design capacity of 6700 tHM

• Phase 1 of the Recyclable Fuel

Storage Company facility at MUTSU

City. Technology dual-purpose casks.

Total design capacity 5000 tHM

• Zheleznogorsk Phase 2 dry store for

RBMK and WWER fuel. Technology

vault with a total capacity 33 000 tHM

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Topic related to Spent Fuel Storage:

Fuel Behaviour over the Years

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Coordinated Research Project – Code T13016

• SPAR was initiated in 1997 and is now entering its fourth phase

• Overall Objective To develop a technical knowledge base on the long-term behaviour of power reactor

spent fuel and storage system materials through the evaluation of operating experience and research by participating Member States

• In the context of this CRP, research proposals are solicited which address one or more of the following topics: Power reactor spent fuel performance in wet and/or dry storage

Power reactor wet and/or dry storage system performance

Research on the long-term behaviour (deterioration or corrosion mechanisms) of spent fuel and/or spent fuel storage system components

Surveillance and monitoring programmes of spent fuel and/or storage facilities

Deep Geological Repositories

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Deep Geological Repositories

• Deep Geological Repository (DGR) concepts are well developed

• Siting considerations being addressed

• Safety Case and Licensing actions are proceeding

• Understanding of technical aspects continues to grow (e.g., features of host rock

formations)

• Clear recognition of the importance of stakeholder engagement

Solid progress towards implementing suitable disposal

solutions continues.

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Solutions for SNF or HLW Deep Geological Disposal

Finland

Spent Fuel Repository at Forsmark

(Courtesy of SKB)

Sweden

France

HLW & IL-LLW Repository at Bure

(Courtesy of Andra) Spent Fuel Repository at Olkiluoto

(Courtesy of Posiva)

STUK (2015):

Nuclear waste

facility can be

built to be safe

After several decades of

- Technical development

- Public consultation

- Trust building

Close to operation!

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Crystalline Stripa, Climax, Fanay-Augeres, “India gold mine”, Kamaishi

Sedimentary G-tunnel, Tono

Canada AECL URL

420m

Evaporate Project Salt Vault, Asse, Amelie

Plus other early facilities:

Tuff Busted Butte

Site-specific URLs Generic URLs

USA ESF (YMP)

300m France Bure 500m

Germany Gorleben

900m

USA WIPP 655m Korea

KURT 90m

Japan Mizunami

500m

Switzerland Grimsel

450m

Switzerland Mt. Terri

400m

Japan Horonobe

350m

France Tournemire

350m

Belgium HADES 230m

Czeck Republic

Josef < 50m

Finland Olkiluoto

100m

Finland ONKALO

500m

Sweden Äspö 450m

HLW/SNF Disposal – Decades of RD&D

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HLW/SNF Mature Disposal Concepts

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Germany - Salt

Sweden/Finland – Crystalline

USA – UZ/Tuff

YMP disposal concept

(Courtesy of Sandia)

KBS3-V disposal concept

(Courtesy of SKB)

Spent Fuel borehole concept

(Courtesy of DBE Technology GmbH) 20

HLW/SNF Mature Disposal Concepts - Clay

France

Belgium

Switzerland

Belgium supercontainer concept

(Courtesy of Ondraf/Niras)

Swiss SNF disposal concept

(Courtesy of Nagra)

French HLW disposal concept

(Courtesy of Andra)

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IAEA Report on Roadmap for the Development

of a Geological Disposal Programme

• Assist Member States in developing and implementing a

programme for the geological disposal of radioactive waste

• Capture lessons learnt from mature programmes – both from

successful progress towards licensing, and from setbacks

• Identify key phases (milestones, decision points) and required

activities (their objectives, the deliverables reach each

milestone, to inform each decision point)

• Special attention on role of URFs (available knowledge;

generic; site-specific) in supporting decision points

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Roadmap for DGR Implementation

OBJECTIVES

WMO established

definition of development

program

initiation siting process

identification of sites for

characterisation

site confir-mation

license for construction

granted

license for operation granted

license for closure granted

General planning (establishing capability, capacity and credibility

and strategic planning)

Program development Siting Construction, operation and closure

Selection of potential sites (to be investigated into further detail)

Development of the site-specific disposal system

Prerequisites

WMO Management

Technical activities

Requirements and specifications

Engineering

Safety case

Safety assessment

Environmental impact assessment

Site investigation and characterisation

Stakeholder involvement

Communities

Waste producers and predisposal operators

Regulator

Others

Construction, operation, closure and post-closure

Underground research activities

Generic URF

Site-specific URF

Underground investigation

Milestones / Decision Points W

ork

Bre

akd

ow

n S

tru

ctu

re

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Technology and Society

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• Siting: geology is important, support of the local and national

stakeholders is paramount

• Building trust is a long road

And maintaining it over decades a must …..

• Listen to people, take their perspective

Address their concern in their words

Ensure a two ways discussion

Other Concepts Being Researched

Geological Disposal

USA : very deep borehole

Japan : looking for a geological formation below

the sea

Recycling

Fast Neutron Reactors Fuel Cycle

Minor Actinides Separation

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Deep Borehole: Concept

Status - Deep Borehole Field Test (Slides Courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories)

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Deep Borehole Studies Launched in US

Status - Deep Borehole Field Test (Slides Courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories)

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Status - Deep Borehole Field Test (Slides Courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories)

Deep Borehole Field Test: Feasibility

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VLLW – LLW – ILW : Other Disposal Needs

A comprehensive suite of disposal

solutions is always needed to provide safe

endpoints for the entire national

inventory – from VLLW to HLW/SNF

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Surface Disposal of LLW and VLLW

El Cabril, Spain LLW Disposal in Richland, Washington

Vaalputs, South Africa Rokkasho, Japan

Centre de la Manche, France

Morvillier, France

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L/ILW Disposal Underground

Olkiluoto,

Finland

SFR Forsmark,

Sweden

Morsleben, Germany

Wolsong, Korea

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Borehole Disposal:

An Option for DSRS Management

Initiated 1995 at a TC-AFRA

Regional Training Course

hosted by NECSA

Uncontrolled Storage

vs.

Safe & Secure disposal

Disposal Solution

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BDC System – Why System?

Includes mobile surface facilities, equipment,

and components for full chain of operations

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Borehole Disposal Concept (BDC) What is it?

A disposal solution specifically developed to

provide a safe, secure, and effective option for

disused sealed radioactive sources.

> 30 m

0,26 m

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www.iaea.org/nuclearenergy

IAEA Tools

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IAEA Professional Networks

Platform for International Cooperation and Training

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ARTEMIS – Peer Review Service

• Main objectives: to provide independent expert opinion and advice to MS to:

Improve organizational performance relating to the issues under review

Enhance safety, optimize operations and reduce costs

Improve transparency and stakeholder confidence, including with the public

Strengthen national programmes through improved national policies and

strategies and

Improve quality of decision making process due to availability of additional

perspectives

• Intended for facility operators, regulators, government agencies, policy makers

• May include facilities and activities related to:

Spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management

Decommissioning

Environmental remediation

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Atoms for peace

and development

at your service for 60 years…

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