The impact of dry spent-fuel storage on decommissioning

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:6959854

Bowser, R C; Taylor, M Jr ^[1]; Miller, K R ^[2]

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1. Pacific Nuclear, San Jose, CA (United States)
2. Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Herald, CA (United States)

Several utilities have made decisions to decommission nuclear plants. Other utilities are currently investigating the economic and technical feasibility of decommissioning versus continued operations. As a result, assessments are being made to determine the impact of dry spent-fuel storage on decommissioning. This assessment is being made on a comparison of wet and dry storage (including modifications to current wet storage systems). Not only are the capital and operating costs of the equipment or modifications being evaluated, but staffing levels, interference with other decommissioning activities, and the ability to eventually transfer the fuel to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) all factor into the assessments. In the case of the Rancho Seco nuclear generating station, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) developed three objectives related to spent-fuel disposition to support the safe and economical closure of the plant. These objectives are as follows: 1. Minimize occupational and public radiation exposure. 2. Minimize decommissioning costs, including the need to maintain the spent-fuel pool. 3. Prepare the fuel for DOE acceptance. These rather universal goals are being met for Rancho Seco through the use of a canister-based spent-fuel storage and transportation system, the NUHOMS system. This paper discusses the economic and technical impacts of dry spent-fuel storage on decommissioning, more specifically as it relates to the decommissioning of the Rancho Seco plant.

• OSTI ID: 6959854
• Report Number(s): CONF-931160--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 69
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DECOMMISSIONING
DRY STORAGE
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EVALUATION
FUELS
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RANCHO SECO-1 REACTOR
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
STORAGE
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS