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U.S. Department of Energy
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Costs for disposal of Savannah River high-level waste in a commercial repository

Conference ·
OSTI ID:60600

Costs for SRP high-level waste disposal were projected using baseline conceptual designs for commercial nuclear waste repositories to accommodate defense waste packages in an "augmented repository" mode for 10,000 SRP waste canisters emplaced in conjunction with spent fuel and commercial processed waste in salt, tuff, and basalt repositories, the defense high-level wastes (DHLW) would occupy an underground repository area 5-7% of that committed to commercial high-level wastes. Direct costs representing incremental expenditures for DHLW disposal in the commercial waste repositories depended on repository geology, waste packaging requirements, and underground emplacement patterns. For a representative repository utilizing steel overpacks on emplaced canisters, direct costs of SRP waste disposal would be about $580 million, with a major fraction ($51,500/canister) directly proportional to the number of canisters emplaced. Indirect costs representing allocated charges for DHLW use of repository facilities in common with commercial wastes were estimated for the basalt repository at about $245 million, bringing total repository costs for SRP waste disposal to about $825. Elimination of overpack requirements would reduce the SRP repository costs by about $220 million.

Research Organization:
EI du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, SC
OSTI ID:
60600
Report Number(s):
CONF-840307--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English