THORP: The lessons for safeguards
- Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg (Luxembourg). Directorate of EURATOM Safeguards
- British Nuclear Fuels plc, Warrington (United Kingdom)
- Dept. of Trade and Industry, London (United Kingdom)
The Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Sellafield (UK) is planned to start operating in 1993. It has a design annual throughput of 1,200 tes HM containing up to 12 tes of plutonium. The plant will be subject to comprehensive EURATOM safeguards involving significant new challenges for both the inspectorate and the operator, extending from plant design through construction to commissioning and operation. The legal approval procedures under Article 78(2) of the EURATOM Treaty are described together with the specific safeguards measures taken for THORP. A description is given of the many lessons learned over the six years to date of close BNFL/EURATOM interaction on the project. The many new safeguards implementation features which have been developed in the areas of authentication, signal branching, in-line NDA, monitoring/logging systems, anomaly resolution, on-site independent DA, construction and commissioning verification and data handling are described. These advanced safeguards features will ensure that the plant, from irradiated fuel storage through reprocessing, finishing and product storage is subject to efficient and effective EURATOM multinational safeguards. The main lessons which can be learned from the project are discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 61336
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930749-; TRN: IM9526%%117
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 34. annual meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Scottsdale, AZ (United States), 18-21 Jul 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Nuclear materials management. 34th Annual meeting proceedings: Volume 22; PB: 1190 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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