Foreign experience in extended dry storage of spent nuclear fuel

Conference · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5116192· OSTI ID:10170874

Schneider, K J; Mitchell, S J

Most countries with nuclear power are planning for spent nuclear fuel (or high-level waste from reprocessing of spent fuel) to be disposed of in national deep geological repositories starting in the time period of about 2010 to 2050. While spent fuel has been stored in water basins for the early years after discharge from the reactors, interim dry storage for extended periods (i.e., several tens of years) is being implemented or considered in an increasing number of countries. Dry storage technology is generally considered to be developed on a world-wide basis, and is being initiated and/ or expanded in a number of countries. This paper presents a summary of status and experience in dry storage of spent fuel in other countries, with emphasis on zirconium-clad fuels. Past activities, current status, future plans, research and development, and experience in dry storage are summarized for Argentina, Canada, France, former West Germany, former East Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the former Soviet Union. Conclusions from their experience are presented. Their experience to date supports the expectations that proper dry storage should provide for safe extended dry storage of spent fuel.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 10170874
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA--20430; CONF-9207102--48; ON: DE92019371
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ARGENTINA
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CANADA
DRY STORAGE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
FRANCE
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
INDIA
ITALY
JAPAN
MONITORED RETRIEVABLE STORAGE
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REPROCESSING
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
SPAIN
SPENT FUEL CASKS
SPENT FUELS
SWITZERLAND
UNITED KINGDOM
USSR
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE